Choices
by mebwrites
Summary: What would happen if Bella never forgave Edward? What would happen if Bella chose Jacob? After Italy, Edward is determined to win Bella's forgivness, and Jacob is trying desperately to hold on. Bella is conflicted with the choices she is forced to make.
1. Grudges and Grievances

**Disclaimer: **Anything and everything related to Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer.

A/N: This is an alternate ending for New Moon, where Bella questions her relationships with Edward and Jacob and can't decide who to choose. Just a little something for all the Team Jacob members out there (: Hope you all enjoy!

Chapter 1: Grudges and Grievances

"I'm sorry, Jacob. It's just something I have to do." I grabbed his warm hand and pulled it to my face so I could kiss the back of his palm. I didn't look him in the eyes because I didn't want to see the hurt there, the pain that _I_ was inflicting. I quickly wrapped my arms around his waist before pulling away and sprinting off to the waiting Mercedes.

"Bella, let's go!" Alice called from the driver's window, impatient and looking distraught. I shoved myself into the black car, and Alice stepped on the gas before my door was even closed.

"Take care of Charlie!" I yelled to Jacob, as we cruised down the slick road. I whipped the tears from my eyes, but they were flowing out endlessly. My vision was blurry, but I caught a glimpse of a white object on the edge of the trees. A piece of a shoe.

The flight to Italy seemed unending. Alice sat unmoving in the seat next to mine, concentrating on her visions. Edward's actions were unpredictable at the moment, and that made my nerves spike uncontrollably. What would happen if we were too late? I couldn't think about it. I concentrated on the flight attendant who was handing out pillows to groggy passengers. I noticed for the first time that it had turned to night.

When the plane landed in Florence, Alice disappeared as I paced back and forth in front of the airport. A few people rushed through the doors to their waiting cars, wearing long red capes and clutching a mysterious shopping bag that looked like it contained cloves of garlic. I narrowed my eyes at the sight, and tilted my head. Surely, Italian people didn't dress so oddly.

At that moment, a flashy yellow Porsche screeched to a stop, and the passenger door flew open.

"Get in!" Alice hissed as I hurried my way to the ostentatious car. We sped our way through the streets of Florence when Alice pointed to a beautiful city in the distance.

"Volterra," she stated, and my heart rate spiked erratically. "Get a hold of yourself, Bella!" Alice could hear my heart pounding, and she turned to look at my worried expression. Her big golden eyes softened. "Don't worry, it will be okay. But I need you. Edward needs you." I nodded and focused my attention on the approaching city walls. Alice was giving me directions on where to find Edward, teaching me how to say "the clock tower" in Italian in case I needed to ask for instruction.

Once we got into the walls of Volterra and Alice conned her way passed the security guard, I started off running toward the clock tower. I pushed passed herds of people, all dressed in red clocks and carrying various items like rosary beads and fake teeth. I finally understood the family at the airport; they were celebrating the occasion that was taking place here today, St. Marcus Day.

I searched frantically as I shoved through the crowd. I trudged through the icy waters of a fountain and catapulted myself into the large mass of people, while screaming desperately for Edward. When I saw his stone figure standing in the shadows, looking down at his feet with his white button down in his hand, a mixture of emotions flitted through my mind. But I pushed them all aside and threw myself into his body before he stepped into the sunlight. Our short reunion seemed almost blissful, and I couldn't remember anything that happened in the past year when I looked into his eyes.

The rest was a complete fog in my memory. I was so disoriented that I couldn't really contemplate Edward's cold hands wrapped around me as we were led underground and stood before the three Volturi ancients and their guard. I was nearly unconscious on the walk back out to the city, impaired from trauma and sleep-deprivation. The car ride to the airport, and then the flight back to Forks were all a blur.

The next morning, I woke up dazed and confused. I turned over in my bed, pulling my covers up over my head, and came in contact with an icy hand. I jumped, frightened, threw my eyes open and stared into liquid gold.

"Did I frighten you?" His velvet voice was soothing and quiet, and his face was thoughtful. I smiled for a quick moment before jumping out of bed, pulling the sheets with me and leaving Edward exposed on my bed. The 14 hours of sleep suddenly put everything into perspective, and I was sharply focused and concentrated.

Edward's serene face turned to one of worry as he stared at me standing beside the bed. "Are you alright?" He asked honestly, sounding concerned. Charlie's muffled snores echoed through the walls as I glanced at the clock, 1:10 a.m.

I glowered at him. "No, I am not alright." I practically spit the words at him. "Why the _hell_ would I be alright, Edward?" Edward, looking alarmed and conflicted, got out of bed and flitted over to where I stood. He lifted his arm to gently caress my cheek, but I slapped him away. His face looked so hurt, that I felt terrible for a moment. I wanted to take back what I said, but I couldn't. A few words were nothing compared to the hurt he had caused me. A few words filled with hatred would have been a nice relief from the gaping hole that had ripped at my chest endlessly. The hurt of a few words could dissipate quickly; the hurt I had experienced had me permanently scarred.

Maybe in this moment Edward had forgotten why he'd left. Maybe he actually cared about me again. But it didn't matter. I don't think I could forgive him.

Edward spoke in a low, anxious voice. "Yesterday, when I would touch you, you were so hesitant, so careful. Was that because I'm too late? Because I've hurt you too much? Can you still love me, after everything I've done to you?

I shook my head and closed my eyes. "I'm sorry," I said, and even though I couldn't pull him into my arms and tell him everything was okay, I did mean it. I opened my eyes again to see him staring at me, a hard mask on his face trying to disguise the pain. "I think you should go."

He nodded without a word and left through my open window, disappearing into the dark night. I crawled back into bed, and rolled up into a ball. The hole in my chest re-emerged, the edges inflamed. But this pain felt a little different. I thought of Charlie, sleeping ignorantly in the next room. I thought of Emily, and all the wolf boys I had grown to love like family. I thought of Jacob, my safe harbor, the savior that had sheltered me through my darkest night. The hole, this time, wasn't as demeaning. It felt like maybe, after all, I could heal.

***

I got up at around 5, at a more reasonable hour, to take a shower. I lingered in the hot water, letting the steam envelop me and wash away all the thoughts and emotions I had to sort through. When I walked out of the bathroom, wearing baggy sweats with a towel wrapped around my damp hair, my father was waiting in the hallway. He looked uncomfortable, angry and relieved all at the same time.

"Um Bells, we need to talk," he stated with authority, using the tone of voice he usually saved for his job as Chief of Police. Uh-oh. I was hoping this conversation would be put off a little longer, but it was probably better to get it over with.

"Sure, Dad." He waved me down the stairs, and I followed him into the kitchen. The sink was full of dirty dishes, and there were stacked pizza boxes in the corner. Charlie looked distressed, and I finally fathomed what my unexplained trip to Italy has caused him.

"Dad, I'm so sorry."

"Sorry? Would you like to explain to me where you have been? I come home from Harry's funeral, _funeral_, and Jacob tells me you've run off with Alice Cullen and that he thought you were in trouble. All you left was a note saying who you were with, not where you were going, or for how long, or if you were even coming back. Do you have any idea how worried sick I've been?" As I listened to him rant, I felt awful for leaving him so unexpectedly. I hated myself, knowing that I must have caused unwanted memories to reappear. Memories of last spring, when I walked out because I was secretly being hunted by a sadistic vampire, or from nearly two decades ago, when my mother had left, taking me with her.

The trip had been necessary, though. Of course, I would never be able to fully explain the details to my father. It was against the rules for him to know about the secretive world of vampires. I didn't think I could explain the human reasons behind the trip either though. I needed Edward to be alive, I was thankful that I had saved him. I just couldn't let myself fall back into loving him, when I had mourned so relentlessly over his absence. It was irrational, but justified. I couldn't let myself feel that level of pain again.

"Dad, I am truly sorry. I should have called, and assured you I was okay. But I had to go, Edward was in danger and I was the only one who could help him."

"Danger?" Charlie asked. "What do you mean?"

"Well," I tried my best to sound convincing. "Rosalie had told him that I jumped off the cliff…" When I saw his eyes bug out I remembered that I hadn't told him about the cliff. I ignored that for now and continued. "See, he thought I was trying to kill myself, and he was, well, taking drastic measures in response to the news."

"Were you trying to kill yourself, Bella?"

"No, Dad, of course not. Just fooling around with Jake. The boys down at La Push go cliff diving all the time." He seemed to accept my answer, and then his face turned to anger.

"I don't want to see Edward Cullen in this house ever again. Do you understand?" His cheeks were red and his voice was stern.

"I know, Dad, I don't want that either." Did I? No, I couldn't. Could I? I was so conflicted with emotions. Seeing Edward had made things very clear, and then very muddled. Being away from him had been the worst thing imaginable, worse than being under Jane's torturing power, I assumed. But after being with him, for just a few hours, my need for him was slowly crawling back to the surface. But there was something pushing it aside; the anger I felt toward him.

There was one person that I desperately needed to see. Someone who would help me figure everything out. The same person who had helped me pick up the shattered pieces of my life. My own personal sun; my Jacob.

"Dad, I'm heading down to La Push."

His eyes narrowed disapprovingly. "Don't you think it's a little early?"

"This is important, I need to see Jake." He nodded in understanding and watched me walk out into the pouring rain. I kept my head low as I jogged to my truck, but stopped when I saw a glossy black vehicle parked behind it. Déjà vu filled my head, and then my heart jumped nervously. I calmed down when I took a closer look at the driver, and smiled at her spiky black hairdo. I rushed over to the driver's side and she rolled down the window.

"Alice, what are you doing here?" It then hit me that she had probably seen and heard everything. I wondered what she thought of me. I would probably hate me. At that moment, I couldn't decide if I hated myself.

"Let me explain…" but she raised her hand to cut me off.

"Bella," she said softly. "You don't need to explain anything. When we left, we had no idea of the damage we would leave behind. But that doesn't excuse the fact that we did. Edward feels sick beyond reason, but he understands. You've been through so much, I know that, and I am sorry. I just wanted to say that any pain we caused you was completely unintentional, and I hope at the very least, that you will be able to forgive _me_, and that we could still be friends."

I was surprised by her words, and spoke quickly to assure her penetrating gaze. "Of course, Alice! I know it wasn't your fault. I don't know what I would do if I couldn't be your friend!" Her shoulders relaxed as relief washed over her face. I shot her a shy smile, and her answering smile was brilliant.

Alice seemed to remember something and her lips turned down into a disturbed frown. "Bella, you don't understand how much he hates himself. If you would just let him explain, maybe…"

"Alice," I couldn't even think about it logically right now. "I can't. Not now." She nodded in understanding.

"Well, I'll let you continue with whatever you were doing before I interrupted. I'll see you tomorrow!" She was back to being her chipper little self, but something in her expression seemed unsure. When she pulled out of the driveway, I climbed into the cab of my rusted old truck and started driving south toward the sanctuary of the Quileute Reservation.

My noisy truck chugged down the winding roads of La Push, announcing my arrival. Jacob was perched on his front steps, wearing nothing but jean cut-offs, his black ponytail dripping with rain.

"I'm surprised to see you here."

"I needed to come talk to you."

He got up off the step and walked over to me. "So what happened? Did you tell him he could go fuck himself?" He said angrily through clenched teeth.

"In not so many words."

Jacob looked up unexpectedly. "Are you serious? You didn't just forgive him?"

I shook my head. "I didn't really say much. He asked if I could love him again, and I said I was sorry, and that I thought he should leave." Jacob's smile softened all his features as he pulled me into a tight bear-hug.

"Can't breathe!" I reminded him, and he laughed but pulled away, keeping my hand. He was still smiling, not his hard Sam smile, but his real Jacob smile. I would do anything for that smile.


	2. Persistence

**Disclaimer: **Anything and everything related to Twilight, of course, belongs to Stephenie Meyer.

A/N: Wow! I could not believe the responses I received for Chapter 1! I didn't even think anyone would read it, let alone like it! I'm so ecstatic and thankful for everyone who read Chapter 1! You guys are awesome!

[Thanks to my wonderful beta, Taylor!]

Chapter 2: Persistence

The first day back at school after Italy was unnerving. I was anxious and nervous as I climbed into my old Chevy, worrying about everything that could possibly go wrong. I was dreading English, knowing Edward would be back in class, occupying the seat next to mine. I shivered just thinking about sitting next to him again; I couldn't fathom the damage his stare would have on my mental stability.

I was also antsy picturing the rest of the school's reaction to the Cullen's mysterious return to school. There would no doubt be speculations and accusations, each and every one completely inaccurate. I hated that many of these insinuations would be about me. Those rumors weren't so off the mark. The worst part of it all, though, was the fact that the comfort of my best friend was miles away, running through the Olympic Rainforest on four paws.

Charlie had picked up on my mood as soon as I had walked down the stairs for breakfast.

"Tough morning?" he inquired knowingly. I simply nodded and walked to the pale yellow cupboard to get a bowl and the box of Cheerios. I sat down at the kitchen table in my usual seat across from my father, who was already dressed for work and reading the newspaper. He stared at me and raised his eyebrows.

"What?" I demanded a little too harshly, feeling subconscious and not in the mood for my father's usual playfulness. He just chuckled and then pointed at my chest. I snapped my head down to look at my shirt. Apparently, I had forgotten to put one on. Great.

My father guffawed as I angrily trudged back up the stairs to complete my outfit. Edward's arrival had really taken a toll on my sleeping abilities; I woke up at 1:10 am screaming at the top of my lungs, and couldn't fall back to sleep after that.

So, the day had already begun quite miserably. To top it all off, it was freezing outside and pouring rain. My truck sloshed through thick puddles as I pulled into the student parking lot. As expected, a large group of students were circled around Tyler's van, all whispering in hushed tones and staring at the silver Volvo parked at the end of the lot. Alice was twirling up the pavement, pulling a sullen looking Edward along by the hand.

As soon as I parked the truck, Mike rushed over to me. He was blocking me from stepping out of the cab. "Bella!" I internally rolled my eyes, and pretended to gather my books while listening to his inane chatter. He looked distracted, and kept looking over his shoulder as he droned on and on with useless talk.

I finally realized what he was doing. "Mike," I interrupted, "I already know he's back." Mike's shoulders slumped in defeat.

"Oh," he said sadly. "So, are you two dating again?"

"No," I answered immediately. His eyes lit up and he began to grin. I couldn't even begin to comprehend how he possibly still believed he had a shot with me. Edward's damage was permanent and irreversible. Could he not see that? I felt like it was written all over my face, like the gaping hole in my chest was real and inflamed.

Luckily, the early bell rang and Mike stepped aside to let me out of my truck. I jumped out and hurried to English class, internally shaking. Mike walked by my side the entire way, but I was too preoccupied to let it bother me. When I stepped into the classroom and looked around, I realized my shoulder felt unusually light. I instantly reached up to pat my shoulder.

"You've got to be kidding me," I mumbled, stumbling to get back in the hallway. Mike followed me out.

"What's wrong, Bella?" He looked concerned, and was staring at me intently with a look that said he was praying the dead zombie wasn't back.

"I left my backpack in my car!" I was so flustered that it came out harsher than I had meant it to. I was hurrying back to the front doors, knowing that I was going to be late because of my stupidity and inattentiveness.

On my way through the threshold, a pair of cold hands placed an object on my back, and I stopped dead in my tracks. Edward Cullen was standing over me, lifting my backpack onto my shoulders. He gave me a shy, unsure little smile. I stared up at him with wide eyes, unable to move. After just a second, the corners of his lips pulled down and he walked away quickly, leaving me standing in the cold rain.

My body tingled from his touch, and I couldn't move my legs. The late bell sounded, but I didn't care. I leaned against the doorframe and closed my eyes. I raked my fingers roughly through my messy waves without opening my eyes. The rain was splattering my face, making me cringe. I finally shoved off the frame, but instead of turning back to class, I continued out onto the campus, headed for my car.

When I got to the parking lot where my beloved truck was waiting, a figure was sitting stoically in the passenger seat. My breathing sped up until I recognized the angelic face.

"Want some company?" Alice's face was kind and beautiful, and I really didn't want to be alone. I nodded and climbed into the cab, slouching over and leaning my head on her stone cold shoulder.

"I'm sorry," she said quietly. "That was my fault. I told him to bring you your bag when I saw that you left it in the truck."

"Oh, um, that's okay, Alice," I quickly retorted. I didn't want to blame Alice when it certainly was not her fault. I would be forever grateful for the lasting support and understanding Alice offered me. She was the sister I had never known I wanted, and now couldn't live without.

Alice and I spent the first four periods in my truck, just chatting animatedly. She never mentioned Edward, and for that I was thankful. When the lunch bell rang, we were debating whether or not to go inside when my cell phone started vibrating violently in the cup holder. I reached over and checked the caller ID, and then groaned in discomfort.

"Mike," I told Alice. Her angelic smile was devious as she silently reached her hand out, palm up, beckoning for the phone. I cautiously placed it in her hand, knowing I would most likely regret it, but I was overcome with curiosity.

"Michael Newton," Alice answered the phone in a serene tone, perfectly mimicking Mrs. Newton's voice. The phone was held up to Alice's ear, but I could hear Mike breathing heavily on the other side. I clapped my hand over my mouth in an attempt to muffle my uncontrollable laugher.

"Mom?" he stuttered uncomfortably.

Alice's face was a stern mask but I could tell she was enjoying herself as much as I was. "Michael, stop hassling the beautiful ladies at school, or you will have to deal with me and your father. Do you understand me, mister?" Her imitation was so accurate it was almost creepy, I felt like I was sitting in the cab with Mrs. Newton instead of Alice.

"Yes Mom. Sorry." The line went dead. Alice and I couldn't contain our laughter; we fell over each other in a fit of giggles. When Mike walked to his car, head down and shoulders slumped forward, a whole new round of laugher erupted.

When we finally got a hold of ourselves, we debated whether or not to go back to class, or sneak off.

"Alice," I reasoned, "we've already skipped the first four blocks, we might as well skip the last three. Let's go somewhere fun."

Alice looked disapproving. "Are you sure you want to skip? You're only going to be a senior once." Her words brought me spiraling back to a time when I had hoped that wouldn't be true. Back to when I was wanted and happy and hopeful. Alice saw the conflict on my face and decided to give in; a rarity for Alice.

"Alright!" She threw her hands dramatically in the air. "Let's go!" I stomped on the gas and peeled out of the high school parking lot, heading for the highway. I knew exactly where I wanted to go, the only place in Washington that I could consider an escape.

We flew --- well flew was a loose term for what my truck could accomplish --- down the freeway, heading south out of Forks. When we passed the sign heading into La Push, Alice's eyes widened, and that was when I first realized bringing Alice to La Push was probably stupid and dangerous. Instead of looking angry, though, Alice started squealing in delight.

"We're going to the beach? Yaaaaay!" I shook my head at her jovial behaviors, but couldn't help but smile. I had been away from Alice's exuberance for too long.

I drove through the winding roads of La Push, heading for the pristine beach. Since Alice was with me, I decided it would be best to stay away from the Black's little red house. When I parked on the gravel, Alice immediately jumped out of the truck and started skipping through the tall grasses that separated the road from the sand. I reached into the back of the truck and pulled out two towels I had stashed there. They were originally for emergency purposes, thanks to Forks and its glorious weather, but today they would suffice as chairs.

I set down the two towels side by side on the soft golden sand and sat cross-legged. I had rolled up the ends of my jeans so they wouldn't get wet, and I removed my blue hoodie because it was humid down at the beach. Alice was dancing along the shoreline, humming, and skipping various rocks that she thought were pretty. I chuckled and her returning grin gleamed white.

"Oh, Bella," Alice sang and she turned and summoned me over with her pointer finger. She had one eyebrow raised, so I didn't know what she was thinking. I grunted unhappily as I lifted myself from the sand, and slowly bounded over to where she was standing.

When I reached her, her face turned from sarcasm to anger. She pointed over the peninsula in the distance, and I understood at once what I was about to be chastised for.

"Bella," she began. I sighed and braced myself. "Please, do not tell me that you jumped off _that_ cliff." I grudgingly turned to stare where her finger was pointing. Yep, it was that very cliff. The memories came flooding back, and I could feel the ache in my throat and the cold water on my face. I looked down at my feet, half embarrassed and half incredulous. One stupid decision had snowballed into such a huge mess. Alice stared at my blush knowingly and nodded. I could tell she was infuriated but let it go, knowing how sensitive that particular subject was.

She took my hand and dragged me back to the towels, where we sat and gossiped for hours. All the tension disappeared with Alice's carefree laughter. We talked about school, and boys, although that was an evasive topic, and Alice listened and contributed as if she was a human teenage girl, rather than an 80-some year old vampire.

At the warmest part of the afternoon, the sun peaked through the clouds, making all the colors of La Push illuminate in light.

"Hey, Al," I gestured, looking out at the crisp blue waves. "Do you want to go for a swim?" Her eyes lit up and she nodded, a huge smile stretching across her face. We stood up at the same time and ran toward the water hand and hand like little kids. Right as our toes were about to reach the shore, Alice froze in her tracks, halting me with her.

"What is it?" I asked curiously. Her face looked conflicted and annoyed.

"Edward," she said simply. The sound of his name made me cringe, and then déjà vu ran through my mind. I started to panic.

"No, don't worry," she assured. "He hasn't done anything hasty, just pathetic." I cocked my head in confusion, inviting her to continue. She sighed apathetically. "He's in his room, rolled up in a ball. He's blubbering like a baby, just minus the tears." I bit my lip and blushed again. I felt awful, knowing he was in pain because of me. But I wasn't sure if I could face him, and felt helpless knowing I couldn't take the pain away. Because in doing that, I would be inflicting pain on myself. I knew it was selfish, but I wasn't a particularly masochistic person, and I had dealt with enough pain to last a lifetime. Even for an immortal.

"Bella, I understand if you don't want to come along, but I have to go comfort him. He is my brother." I nodded and made a quick impulsive decision.

"I'll come," I stated, and we both headed back to the truck. I drove down the familiar freeway, asking Alice for assistance when I couldn't pick out the entrance to their hidden driveway. I pulled up to the large white mansion, and followed Alice silently inside. We climbed the large staircase to the third floor, where the last wooden door in the hall stood ajar. Edward was curled up on the black leather sofa, his face buried in the cushion. When Alice cleared her throat, announcing our arrival, he huffed annoyingly before flipping over and facing the door.

He looked up surprised, and his face softened. "Bella," he breathed lovingly. Alice left the room quietly, closing the door to give us privacy. Edward immediately got up off the couch and came over to where I was standing. I was nervous and uncomfortable, and angry with Alice for leaving me alone.

"I'm glad you came," he murmured and reached up to stroke my cheek. I turned my head away from his touch and backed up toward the door. His face toward to confusion briefly before pain ripped through his features.

"I shouldn't have come," I told him honestly and reached out for the doorknob. He grabbed my hand, stopping my escape.

"Bella," he looked up at me from under his eyelashes. "I'm not going to give up."

I took a deep breath. "And I'm not going to forget." I got up and shuffled out the door, passing Alice in the process. She smiled at me before storming into Edward's room and slamming the door. From inside, I could hear the two bickering.

"Give her space! Can't you see that she's not ready?" Alice chastised.

Edward's voice was low, and harder to hear. "She's never going to forgive me." Alice's rebuttal was spoken too quickly for my human ears to catch. That was probably for the better, I couldn't listen to any more anyway. I sprinted down the spiral staircase and out the front door, effectively leaving my problems behind me.


	3. Feelings

**Disclaimer: **Everything related to Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer J

[Thanks to my beta, Taylor!]

**Chapter 3: Feelings**

It was a tough night. I was tossing and turning endlessly, searching for the position that would bring me unconsciousness. I was graced with a short period of dreamless sleep before the inevitable nightmare flashed through my mind.

I was running wildly through the ancient streets of Italy, yelling and searching frantically for the object of my affection. I jumped through puddles, shoved past groups of people covered head to toe in red. It was everywhere. Red filled my vision as my feet clobbered against the stone ground.

The towered buildings grew taller around me, blocking me on all sides, but that didn't slow my pace. I pushed through a large crowd of sweaty bodies before emerging under the eave of the clock tower. From the corner of my eye I could see Edward standing shirtless in the mouth of the alleyway, about to take his fatal step into the sunlight. I called his name at the top of my lungs, letting the sound fill the plaza, until his head snapped up in my direction. For a second I felt hope, pride, until his face turned into a hard mask and he started shaking his head angrily. My swift movements stopped abruptly as he shot me one last glance, and then stepped out into the sun-lit streets.

Everything that followed happened so fast.

An army of black cloaks flew to the alley entrance, their faces hidden under tall, menacing hoods. They went right to Edward, attacking him straight on and bringing him to the ground before pulling him into the depths of the alley. From where I was standing, I caught a glimpse of his pained expression, before one of the cloaked figures tortured him to his death.

I woke with a start, a shrill scream sounding through my bedroom. It took me a moment to realize it was mine. Charlie burst through the door, looking groggy and disoriented, with a loaded gun in his hand.

"What? What?" he asked as he hurried over to my side. I turned to my bedside table where my alarm clock was glowing green; 1:10 am.

"Just a nightmare," I murmured. That's all it was; that's all he'd ever be.

***

My father had to leave early for work, but he was worried about me so he decided to call up someone to "watch over me." I heard this conversation taking place through the walls of my bedroom, so I shouldn't have been surprised when Jacob stumbled casually through my bedroom door at 5:30 am.

I moaned at the clock and rolled over toward the window, bringing the corner of my pillow up to rest over my ear.

"Jake, go away," I grumbled, annoyed.

"Aw, come _on_ Bells, we haven't hung out in days."

"Shh!" I hissed. "I am trying to sleep!" I heard his footsteps shuffling around, and I relaxed when I thought he was leaving until his body hurled onto my bed, bouncing me a foot in the air.

"Jacob!" I screamed. I crashed back onto the mattress as my head smacked against the headboard. Jacob was in hysterics, sitting cross-legged at the foot of my bed. I sprang up into a sitting position and glared at him, pointing toward the window. "That's it, get out. Now!"

"No thanks," he responded casually, fiddling with something he had picked up off my desk. It was off white in color, and Jacob was staring at it intently. I then realized what he was holding, and immediately understand the expression on his face. It was the heart-shaped sand dollar we had found on the La Push beach a few months ago. Jacob had found it near a piece of brushwood and marveled over its unique shape, so he wanted it to be mine.

He wanted to give me his heart, and I had always tried to push it away.

I sat on the bed while Jake continued to trace his finger over the sand dollar. All my previous anger disappeared and was replaced with conflicting emotions. Jacob looked up from his hands and saw me staring at him.

"I know I'm cute and all but what are you staring at?"

Maybe I didn't have to push him away this time. I moved the covers to my side and crawled across the comforter to where he was sitting. He looked startled and was eyeing me curiously. When I reached him, I crawled onto his lap and tucked my head into his broad shoulder, pressing my cheek to his burning chest.

"Bella, what…?" he started confusedly, but didn't continue. Instead, his muscular bronze arms wrapped around me tightly. He rested his cheek on the top of my head, and mumbled comforting sentiments into my hair. Jacob had grown to accept my firm view on our friendship, and he would take this simply as a friendly hug. But I couldn't help but feel safe in his arms; so warm and strong, always willing to do anything to make me happy and safe.

I wanted to confess everything to Jacob, everything I was feeling and everything I had been holding back. He still hadn't gotten the whole story on the night after Italy, and he had no idea that I was rethinking what the extent of our relationship could be. I opened my mouth, about to speak, but closed it again quickly. I wasn't ready just yet.

I gently pulled my face out from his chest and stared up into his warm brown eyes. "I've been having nightmares." That was a good place to start.

"Oh?" Jacob seemed genuinely concerned. "What about?" _Oh you know, the usual. Watching the previous love of my life get tortured to death by sadistic royal vampires in Italy when I had risked my life to go and save him. _Of course, I couldn't tell him the truth, so I settled for the need.

"Just Edward stuff. But I haven't had a good night's sleep in a while. Will you stay with me?" Jacob scoffed at the mention of Edward but then his face softened with the pain and desperation in my voice. Jacob would never deny me anything.

"Of course, Bells, anything you need."

I scooted back to my pillow, lying down on my bed and pulling Jacob with me. He sat with his back against the wooden headboard while I curled into his side, trying to sleep. He tried to speak soothingly by telling me the newest stupid thing Quil did, but all I heard in my head was a calming lullaby. I fell asleep instantly before the irony could process in my brain. My dreams were pleasant and uneventful, the nightmares blocked by the radiating warmth around me.

Even in unconsciousness, my mind was sharply aware of the set of arms tangled around me. They were so different from their previous occupants, and yet so much the same. Jacob had been there for me, stayed patient and kind and helped me through the hardest time in my life. He would always be the one I would go to when I was upset, and needed comforting. He was the aspiration of goodness and warmth and safety in my mind. Could I have really been so blind? Was the love I felt for Jacob more than I had expected? His arm tightened around my shoulder, sending a wave of heat coursing through my body.

Yes, I think so.

I was awoken suddenly with a gust of wind and a gasp. I groggily looked to my left where Jacob had fallen asleep as well, his hand firmly draping over my shoulder and his head angled back toward the wall. Someone cleared their throat.

"Oh, um, sorry," an embarrassed voice apologized. I flipped to my other side to see Charlie standing awkwardly in my doorway, a faint blush on his cheeks. I then realized what he must have been thinking.

"Oh, Dad, sorry we were just taking a nap," I assured quickly. Soft snores were coming from Jacobs's side of the bed, so I smacked him gently in the side and he startled awake.

"What!" he said angrily before noticing Charlie in the doorway. "Oh, hey Charlie!" he waved. Only Jacob would be completely unphased by this situation. He rolled over and shut his eyes again, but I lifted myself out of bed, collecting my bathroom toiletries. Charlie huffed away without another word, scratching his head and still looking uncomfortable but accepting. I wasn't sure how I felt about that.

I went straight to the bathroom and looked in the long rectangular mirror hanging above the porcelain sink. My hair was knotted and tangled and my eyelids were swollen, but the purple circles under them were a lot less defined. Something was different about my face though, and I stared precariously in the glass until I figured out what it was. My face seemed to glow_; _like all the problems that used to hide in my features had dissipated drastically. I looked rested; _happy_. It didn't take me long to realize what had caused the change.

After a warm shower and what seemed like a century of deliberating, I confidently wrapped a towel around my torso and brushed out my long wet hair, and then strutted casually into my bedroom. Jacob was sitting up on the bed, flipping through an old magazine. He didn't even turn his head when he heard my approach. I silently walked over to the bed and crawled on top, making sure that my towel was securely wrapped around me. When I reached Jacob, I stood at his side on my knees and reached over to turn his head. My hand was resting on his brown cheek, and his penetrating eyes were now staring incredulously into my own. I began to inch forward, ever so slowly, and his eyes widened even more. I could feel his breath as his lips parted in a gasp, and then I closed the remaining distance between us and pressed my lips to his.

I didn't push him away this time.

After a few sweet kisses, and one more passionate one, we both pulled away and looked at each other. Jacob was working to catch his breath, and his eyes were wild and full of questions. He probably had no idea what was going on, and wasn't sure what this meant. So I tried to answer him with one gesture.

I stared up into his eyes, and a smile broke across my face.

He tilted his head to the side for a moment, and then returned it with a huge smile of his own.

"It's about time," he murmured and he grabbed me into a tight embrace. I couldn't help but laugh as he held me close, and for the first time in forever, I could finally breathe.

**A/N: **A short but important chapter, I hope you enjoyed it! Reviews are appreciated :)


	4. Reactions

**Disclaimer: **Everything related to Twilight belongs to the amazing Stephenie Meyer

[Thanks a bunch to my beta, Taylor!]

Chapter 4: Reactions

Monday morning snuck up on me as unexpectedly as it did each week. When the shrill buzz of the alarm clock sounded, I flailed by arm over to press the snooze button, and drifted back to sleep. I had only been asleep for mere seconds when Charlie's fist slammed on the outside of my wooden door.

"Isabella Marie Swan! Get your butt out of bed now!" his voice boomed through the walls, eliciting an annoyed moan from deep in my throat. I threw my legs over the side of the bed and stuffed my feet into my fluffy blue slippers. I hadn't slept well last night, haven been jeered awake by my continuous screams at 1:10 am, and my whole body felt heavy and stiff.

I trudged over to the monotony that was my closet, and attempted to configure a presentable outfit for the day. I kept hoping that something new would magically appear, but when that dream fell through, I settled for jeans and a blue button down. The ground outside looked dry and the sky was only a faint gray, the tell-tale signs of a pleasant day for Forks, Washington.

When I was finally dressed, I walked into the communal bathroom to begin my morning routine. When I first moved in with Charlie over a year ago, one of the only things I was not looking forward to was having to share a bathroom with him. Granted, using the same bathroom as his 18-year-old daughter probably wasn't up very high on Charlie's comfort list either. But everything turned out to be fine, and we rarely bickered over the shared space. Charlie was especially lenient when it came to my privacy, and for that I was especially grateful.

After brushing my teeth and giving up on my inflexible hair, I quickly went back to my room to gather my backpack. I was running a little behind schedule this morning due to my insomnia-induced slowness, which also, unfortunately, increased my clumsiness.

As I was furiously stuffing books into my ratty orange backpack, a sharp howl from outside reverberated off the windowpanes, causing the glass to shake. I rushed over to windowsill, blowing the curtains aside, and threw up the sash. Sitting neatly on the fringe of my yard was a red-brown wolf staring up at my bedroom window, a gleaming white grin surrounded by thick, luscious fur. The penetrating gaze, though far below, made my heart skip a beat. Jacob stood up on all four legs, and let out a soft yelp which I could only assume was a joyful salutation. I shook my head at that crazy dog, and then stuck my head out the window.

"Good morning to you, too!" I shouted loudly across the yard. A bark-like laugh sounded from his throat, and I blew him a kiss. His smile grew larger before he trotted happily back into the depths of the forest. I was still smiling hugely the whole ride over to school.

Everyone picked up on my mood instantly. Jessica looked skeptical when she saw me departing from my truck, full of smiles, but Angela's expression turned to mimic my own. She was obviously happy to see me happy. I quickly turned my head when I saw two stone faces in my peripherals; one looking cheerful, while the other looked infuriated.

I walked over to Tyler's van where everyone was hanging out before the first bell rang. "Hey guys," I greeted ecstatically. I was a little startled by the perkiness of my voice.

"Oh, hey Bella!" Mike called enthusiastically. He waved me over to sit in the warmth of the van whose car door was open so people could sit. I happily agreed and went over to join everybody.

Angela couldn't stop smiling at me. She leaned in close to whisper in my ear. "I'm so glad to see you happy!"

"Thanks, Ang!"

"So…" she inquired. I just smiled back, so she started bouncing impatiently. "What has you so happy?"

I hesitated for a long moment. "Yesterday, I kissed Jacob Black."

Four heads shot in my direction, a mixture of emotions playing across each face. I hadn't thought I'd whispered so loudly.

"What!?"

"You kissed _who_?"

"Oh my gosh, congratulations!"

The last reaction was a faint but menacing growl. It was too low for anyone else to hear, but it was an all too familiar sound. I turned away from the faces gawking in my direction, and looked through the van window to the front of the parking lot. The two majestically beautiful statues who had been previously leaning against their shiny silver Volvo appeared to be attracting a crowd of their own.

Edward was glaring in the direction of the van, the mask of a murderer set in his facial features. His hands were clenched into tight fists, the marble skin stretching over his knuckles. Alice's hands were on his chest, pushing him against the car forcefully; restraining him. I shuttered and looked away reflexively. When I turned back, I was met with coal black eyes, furious and raged. It felt like his stare was burning a hole right through my chest, replacing the old one that has just started to heal.

And that reminded me. The reason for all this mess; the reason for my healing; the reason why I was happy. Jacob. And my crazy vampire ex-boyfriend looked like he was planning to tear him to shreds.

Leaving my stunned friends---who were completely oblivious to the Cullens---behind, I briskly made my way over to the north end of the parking lot. Edward was shoving himself into the pretentious vehicle, Alice watching disapprovingly with a look of warning on her face. Almost too quick for my eyes to see, Edward peeled out of his space, almost hitting me, and sped out of the lot. Alice was left standing alone, a scowl on her perfect face.

"Alice!" She had two fingers resting on her forehead and her eyes were closed. They fluttered open as soon as she heard me calling her name. I was surprised to see people casually walking to class, going about their business. It felt like the world was spinning.

"What is he going to do?"

"Oh, Bella. Hey." She looked distraught as she stared into my eyes. It worried me deeply. Alice was never worried unless she had a reason to be. She was silent for a moment and I immediately recognized her glazed over expression.

"What is it?" I was jumpy and anxious and Alice was making no effort to comfort me.

"Don't worry Bella, that wasn't about you. And don't worry about Jacob either. Edward would never do anything to hurt you, and that includes keeping Jacob unharmed. You should have a little more faith in him." I raised my eyebrows at her. She quickly chirped away again. "Okay, okay, I know he's given you plenty of reason to distrust him, but you have to believe the extent to which he still cares for you. We all do." She smiled gently, completely sincere. Her words rang in my head, sweet and loving. Of course I knew they were true. Didn't I still love all the Cullens too? I told myself that Edward was the exception, but I knew that I would be lying to myself if I said that I didn't still care about him too.

I pulled Alice into a tight embrace and she graciously hugged me back. The bell rang and we started across the lot to the math building where we both had first block class. When multiple pairs of curious eyes fell on my face, I remembered my human friends and that I'd left them hanging with my news.

Jessica gawked at me from across the quad the entire walk to math with Alice. Her mouth was hanging open and her eyes were wide, silently begging for answers. Mike was walking along with her silently, looking like he was about to cry.

Alice and I parted ways when we reached the math building. Her advanced calculus class was on the far end of the building, and mine was in the first wing. She gave my hand a tight squeeze before twirling off down the fluorescent-lit hallway. Jessica caught me right as I was about to step into the classroom.

"Oh. My. God. Tell me everything!"

_No thanks. _"Oh, Jessica, hey…_." _My voice was monotonous to the extreme; I'm pretty sure it successfully proved my lack of interest. Jessica acted like she hadn't noticed, though, and persisted on questioning me.

"So what was it like? When did it happen? Are you dating? He's a few years younger but he's cute. He definitely has potential. Wow, this is so exciting!" She blabbered on as we took our seats in the back of the quaint classroom. Jessica and I were in the same math class again this year, something I had mixed feelings about. She had single handedly ignored me for the majority of the year, but it didn't surprise me that she had decided to speak up now. Jessica feasted on gossip in any shape or form.

Luckily, the teacher began the daily lesson so Jessica stopped chattering. She started to pout, and I subconsciously chuckled. Even though I knew she just wanted to find out about Jacob, I couldn't help but be intrigued by Jessica's attention.

I leaned over non-chalantly and whispered in Jessica's ear. "It happened yesterday…" Her eyes grew wide in fascination begging for more. Just for fun, I decided to throw in another detail. "In my bedroom." I heard her tiny gasp and couldn't help but feel smug. Mr. Varner cleared his throat to get Jessica's attention, effectively ending our conversation for the period.

Jessica bounced her knee impatiently throughout the entire class, sending glances my way every few seconds. I could tell that she was mentally formulating another question to ask each time she looked over.

When the bell finally rang, Jessica sprang out of her seat and looked at me hopefully. I took my time packing my bag and putting on my parka, and then slowly followed her out of the math room.

"Bella, please give me some answers!" she pleaded shamelessly.

There wasn't much to tell, but I was getting the satisfaction out of fueling her need for romance news.

"Well Jess, it's not that exciting," I told honestly. "He was over my house yesterday morning and we took a nap, and then when we woke up I kissed him."

"Oh my gosh, this is so exciting!" She continued jabbering, and I stopped listening. Alice skipped down the hallway with her bag slung over her shoulder and her eyes lit up when she saw me. I smiled hugely and patted Jessica on the shoulder.

"I'll see you later, okay Jess?" I didn't bother waiting for an answer and went straight over to Alice. She grabbed my hand joyfully and we headed off to the cafeteria together. As we were sitting down at our usual table, Mike rushed over and claimed the seat next to mine.

"Hey Bella, how are you doing today?"

"I am excellent Mike, how about you?" I smiled. _That's strange,_ I heard someone mutter under their breath. I had my suspicions about Lauren who had conspicuously turned her head.

"I'm alright," he answered glumly. He looked down at his tray of food meaningfully. "Is it true about you and that kid from La Push?" he muttered softly into his pizza. He looked up then with probing blue eyes.

"Well, I guess it depends on what you mean. But yes, I have something with Jacob Black."

"Are you dating him?" he asked.

"Um, yes, I think so," I replied truthfully. We weren't exactly dating right now, but dating was the inevitable path our futures would take. I was sure of it. Mike nodded sullenly, forced to accept my news. Instead of changing the subject, like I assumed he would, he stood up with his tray and moved to the far end of the table where he proceeded to eat in silence.

Alice turned in my direction and whispered. "Okay, my turn," she demanded. "Would you like to inform me of what happened yesterday afternoon that caused your future to so inconveniently disappear?" She was angry, or possibly more irritated, but there was also a trace of curiosity evident in her facial expression. So, I gave her a detailed play-by-play of my afternoon yesterday and she listened intently and ooh-ed and ah-ed in all the right places. Alice was truly the most endearing friend I had ever had.

"You know…" Alice began. "You're wasting your time."

I looked at her quizzically. "What do you mean?" She stared at me for a long moment with her big ocher eyes before answering.

"Never mind," she insisted. I decided not to question it. When it came to Alice, I had learned that it was best to just not ask.

My mind jumped to a different matter. "Alice, are you sure Edward wasn't going to do anything?"

"Yes, I'm sure. He hadn't even considered seeing Jacob. You have nothing to worry about."

I accepted her answer. "Well, I think I'll go see him after school anyway. Warn him that everyone knows now. He probably won't complain," I laughed.

To my surprise, Alice laughed too. "You're probably right," she agreed.

After school ended, I went home shortly before heading off to the reservation. I changed into a dry pair of clothes and wrote a note for Charlie telling him I was in La Push. I made sure that there were leftovers in the fridge in case he was hungry and wanted to make himself dinner before I got back.

I ran upstairs to grab one last thing to bring to Jake and stuffed it in my backpack. I bounded down the driveway and climbed into my truck, which rattled noisily the whole drive. When I was only ten minutes from Jake's house, where I assumed the border of La Push began, something flew out in front of my truck, causing me to slam forcefully on my brakes and shutter to a stop.

Edward appeared out of nowhere, ghosting to the driver's window and tapping on the glass. I rolled it down slowly, trying to even my staggered breathing from the shock, and failing when I contemplated the situation I was in. One I wanted to avoid.

I peered at him but didn't say anything, so he spoke up and got right to the point.

"Bella." The way he said my name still sent my heart fluttering. "Please, don't date him. I can't lose you." _It's your turn, _I wanted to say but I held my tongue.

"Edward, I'm sorry. But I can't stand being depressed and lonely anymore, and Jacob makes me happy. Isn't that all you've ever wanted for me?" I knew I had him when he slumped his shoulders in defeat. He stared deep into my eyes. His eyes had turned from the deathly black of thirst to warm gold.

He took a deep breath without letting go of his gaze. "He makes you truly happy?"

I nodded confidently.

"Okay," he sighed, his eyes squinting in agony. I turned back to step on the gas pedal, but his soft voice stopped me.

"I'll always love you." He looked up right at me. "And I'm sorry." He leaned in hesitantly, testing his boundaries, and then swiftly planted a sweet kiss on my cheek. He turned around on his heels and disappeared into the night, leaving me in the dark with my hand raised to my icy face.

**A/N:** Ohh, more conflict. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, the next one won't be angsty, I promise. Also, thank you all so much for reading this story; I can't believe how many responses I've gotten! It truly amazes me, and I am so thankful for all of you! As always, reviews are appreciated [:


	5. Requited

**Disclaimer: **Everything related to Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer.

[As always, thanks to Taylor!]

Chapter 5: Requited

After Edward abruptly disappeared, my mind was spinning endlessly and my fingers grew cool from the touch of my cheek. It took me a long time, possibly hours, to realize that my truck was idling, at top volume, in the middle of the road. I was surprised that it had already turned pitch black outside --- granted that it was only 6:30 --- and even more curious that no other cars had driven down this way. I snapped out of my stupor and put the truck in gear, driving the last few minutes to the tiny red house at the bottom of the hill.

Jacob peeked his head out of the doorway as I was pulling into the driveway. The noisy chugging of my truck obviously gave notice to my arrival. Jacob looked surprised when he made out the shape of my dilapidated truck, but his face quickly turned to look pleased.

"Bella!" he called happily from the doorway, and then grabbed an umbrella and jogged out to my door. I hadn't realized it was raining, pouring actually. Even through the ice cold rain, Jacob was wearing nothing but baggy black sweatpants, and his hair was cropped all the way short; he had obviously cut it that afternoon. He swiftly opened my car door and held the umbrella over my head so I could depart from my truck, rain-free.

"Oh yeah," Jacob muttered to himself and then leaned in and kissed me softly on the lips. When he pulled away he was smiling, showing all of his white teeth. It made me giggle.

"Hi," he greeted cheerfully. I laughed again at his impromptu greeting.

"Hi," I whispered back, my smile stretching as wide as his. He kept his arm around my waist as he led me inside the house. He was carrying my backpack over his tan shoulder, a thoughtful unspoken gesture, and skipped ahead to open the front door for me.

Billy wheeled himself into the foyer and greeted me. "Bella, it's good to see you. You look lovely."

Involuntarily, heat rushed up to my face and a pink blush colored my cheeks. "Thanks Billy," I said, embarrassed. "It's great to see you too," I added. Billy wheeled into the living room, leaving Jacob and me alone. He grabbed my hand and started dragging me toward the kitchen. Like usual, his hand was warm and comforting. He brushed his fingertips along my knuckles and it sent a wave of heat through my body. The contrasting feeling from his touch and Edward's was alarming. It reminded me of the afternoon, and I quickly rid that memory from my mind. In this moment, walking hand and hand with Jacob through his quaint little home, I didn't need anything else to make me happy. Jacob did that all on his own.

The two of us walked through the kitchen and out the back door, onto the covered porch. Jacob pulled me over to the porch swing in the corner that looked like it hadn't been used in years. Jacob's porch was small, accessorized with the swing to the left of the door, and a white cooler to the right. The wooden panels of the floor were worn and dirty and the surrounding railings needed a fresh paint job. Even with all of its imperfections, it felt like home.

The porch swing cushion was squishy and comfortable; Jacob and I had to squeeze next to each other to fit. He kept his arm locked around me, and I leaned my head to rest on his broad, bare shoulder. The porch looked out on Jacob's backyard, which extended out to the forest. Behind the trees directly next to the swing, I caught a glimpse of Jacob's shed.

"Working on anything new?" I wondered out loud. Jacob saw me eyeing the shed and smiled.

"Nope, nothing new. I've been too busy on patrol to start a new project." The way his eyebrows knit together when he said this made me worry.

"What are you patrolling for? Is there something wrong?"

"We're still trying to catch that red-headed bloodsucker. She was in our territory yesterday, so we're just keeping things under control." Jacob noticed when I shivered, and moved to wrap both arms around me, trying to keep me warm. He didn't understand that my shivering was out of fear, and not the cool weather.

"Well, be careful out there," I warned. I looked up into his dark eyes and couldn't fathom what I would do if I ever lost him. I shook the thought out of my head.

Jacob kissed me on the forehead. "Don't worry so much, Bells. No one's gonna get hurt. Trust me." His softly spoken promise was undeniable. I sighed in contentment as I leaned against Jacob, a wall of warmth. From inside the house, the telephone rang loudly, startling both of us.

"Ugh," Jacob complained. "Be right back." He unwillingly lifted himself from the porch swing and went inside to grab the phone. I reached into my tattered backpack that Jacob had placed on the ground, and pulled out the item I had brought for him. The pale cream color illuminated in the dark night.

A shuffling noise in the trees startled me, and I reflexively spun around to face the forest, the object in my hand clattering to the ground. It was too dark, even with the bleak porch light, and all I saw was rows of trees. I listened carefully but I didn't hear anything else; I was getting too paranoid. The inevitable result of living in a fantastical world of mythical creatures.

"Bells," Jacob came from behind and tapped me on the shoulder. I was still facing the forest, and screamed at his touch.

"What?" he demanded with concern when he saw my frightened face.

"Oh sorry, you just surprised me, that's all," I answered honestly. I didn't know why I was so jumpy. He quirked his eyebrow but accepted my answer.

"I'm sorry for surprising you. But your dad is on the phone, he wants to talk to you." He reached out and handed me the white portable phone.

"Hello?" I said breathlessly and stood up from the swing. I walked into the kitchen for privacy while Jacob replaced my spot on the porch seat.

"Bella, are you still at Jake's? You've been gone for a while. And are you okay? You sound out of breath? Wait, what were you and Jake just doing?" He was speaking so quickly that all of his questions ran together. He was clearly uncomfortable with the last one, so I stopped him before he could continue.

"Yes, dad, I'm still at Jake's. Sorry, I had a bit of a detour before I came here," I thought about the reason for my tardiness to Jacob's, but didn't feel compelled to explain to Charlie. I remembered Charlie's last questions, and quickly responded to assure him. "And I'm out of breath because Jacob scared me, don't worry." My cheeks flamed red at his assumption. It wasn't that off the mark.

"Okay, well, it's a school night so come home soon," Charlie scolded.

"No problem, I'll see you in a bit." I parted with Charlie and hung up the phone, placing it in the stand on the kitchen counter. I walked back to the porch where Jacob was rocking back and forth, alone on the swing, fiddling with something in his large hands.

He didn't look up, but obviously heard my approach. "This was on the ground. Why did you bring it?" His voice seemed sad, and I looked closer to see what he was talking about.

The sand dollar.

I must have dropped it when the noise from the trees scared me. I had brought it over to give to Jacob, but he had assumed the negative scenario. I walked over and weaved my arm around his back and squeezed his muscled arm. I leaned in close to his face and whispered quietly in his ear. I hadn't brought the sand dollar to give back to him because I didn't want it; I was finally giving him the love that he deserved.

"It's for you." I stated simply. He understood immediately and placed his hand over my heart. "You get that one too." He smiled hugely before leaning in and kissing me until I was dizzy; an unspoken promise.

***

"Alice, no way," I protested sternly. She deliberately ignored me and picked up a pale blue cotton dress, and slung it over her forearm on top of the pile she was already carrying. She continued to flit around the store, picking up various items of clothing as I watched in horror.

"Alice, I am not going to wear any of that."

"Oh, you shush," she commanded, and then grabbed my hand and pulled me to the back of the store, where the dressing rooms were located. Alice, using the charm of her striking beauty, conned the store clerk into letting her into the dressing room with more items than were normally allowed. It was stuffy and uncomfortable in the dressing room and I blushed from self-consciousness as Alice heedlessly undressed me. She made me try on piles and piles of clothing and watched with a smile as I spun around in front of the mirror. I was out of my element, and uncomfortable and awkward, but Alice was certainly enjoying herself.

"Alice, you know I don't need any of this," I pointed to the heap of clothes in the corner of the dressing room which was growing precariously taller every time I looked at it.

She grimaced. "Have you seen your wardrobe? You are in _desperate_ need of this," she corrected. I huffed angrily as she threw a new dress at me, but tried it on with good grace. I hadn't hung out with Alice in a while, and I was enjoying her company.

"So, how are things?" Alice asked inquiringly.

I nodded, uninterested. "Pretty good," I responded. Even though Alice was my best friend, it was distressing to talk to her about Jacob. Alice saw right through my pretense.

"Oh c'mon," she rolled her eyes. "What's new with Jake?" The way she casually addressed him by his nickname took me by surprise.

I blushed just thinking about Jacob, and Alice's eyes lit up immediately. "You're blushing? Share!" she demanded.

"It's nothing," I assured. "We hung out the other night on his back porch. It was a lot of fun," I informed her. I let her in on all the details, but when I mentioned the rustling trees, her severe reaction surprised me. Her eyes grew perceptibly blacker and her face turned to stone, her lips pressing into a hard line. I swear she even hissed at me. At first I was frightened, and then confused, but I didn't pester her about it.

Alice bought me four separate outfits --- none of which I will ever wear --- but I thanked her profusely anyway. We left the Port Angeles Mall and loaded our bags into the back of Carlisle's glossy black Mercedes.

"Alice, you can drop me off at the La Push line. I want to go see Jacob."

Alice looked conflicted. "I don't really like the idea of just dropping you off on the side of the road, Bella."

"I'll be sure to call as soon as I get to his house," I promised. "Of course," I added deviously, "you could come with me. I'm sure you and Jacob would get along really well."

"Bella, you know I can't," she mused. I nodded and looked out my window. It had been worth a try. We were now speeding down the highway, already heading into Forks. "We can't have two incidents in one week," Alice mumbled under her breath, just loud enough for me to hear.

I turned questioningly and stared at her. "What?" I asked.

She seemed shocked that I had heard. "Um, nothing," she said quickly.

"Whatever," I retorted. We drove through the small town that had been my home for only a short year, the lush greenery flying by. Alice drove past the Cullen's long narrow drive, heading toward the reservation. A few minutes later, the car stopped abruptly, signaling the location of the border.

"Are you sure about this?"

I rolled my eyes. "Of course, Alice. Jacob's house is right up the hill." I got out of the car, grabbing my shopping bags from the trunk.

"Call me when you get there!" Alice yelled as she stuck her head out the driver's side window. I started walking down the road at my usual slow pace. I could hear Alice idling in the road, so I yelled to her without turning around.

"Alice, you can go home!" I chuckled as the car spun around and drove off. I got to Jake's house shortly, and knocked on the door. It was just around 3 o'clock; I didn't even think about what Jacob might be doing. It was Saturday; maybe he was out with friends. As I knocked on the wooden door frame once again, I felt a pang of jealously. It was irrational, I knew, and I relaxed significantly when Billy opened the door.

"Bella! How nice to see you. Come on in." I followed him into the small living room, where he rolled himself over to the TV. I sat on the sofa against the wall.

"What brings you to the reservation today?" Billy asked sweetly. His face looked worn, liked he had aged since the other night. The smile on his tan face looked forced.

"Um," I stuttered, realizing something was wrong. "I came to see Jake. I guess he's not here?" The last words started out as a statement, but my voice broke into a question on the last word, going up two octaves.

Billy sensed my distress. "He's out on patrol right now, actually. The boys caught a, um, scent last night that they are looking into." He seemed to choose his words very carefully, and it made me curious.

"What kind of scent?" I asked. It was obvious that Billy was hesitant to answer.

"There was a vampire trail right at the forest edge behind the house," he stated. "It was new; only a few hours old when Embry had caught the scent."

My heart stopped suddenly. "Was it Victoria?" I managed to say past the dry lump in my throat.

Billy looked uncomfortable again. "No, it wasn't the red-headed one."

"Oh, good." I relaxed instantly. "So the boys aren't in danger?"

"Not especially. They just want to tighten the patrol around the rez, since this vampire was breaking the rules."

I picked out the right words. "Breaking the rules?" There was only one family of vampires who had rules against being on the reservation. I suddenly remembered Alice's reaction in the car, and the shuffling in the trees right next to Jacob's house. He had been that close. _No, _I thought, _it couldn't have been him._

Jacob burst through the front door fuming, answering my question. "I'm going to get him," he screamed through clenched teeth. His words sounded through the entire house; his tone was so murderous it made me cringe. Sam, Embry, Paul and Jared flanked Jacob on their way through the door, all of them were shirtless in cut-off jeans, their hair was disheveled and they looked dirty. Sam was pushing on Jacob's back, leading him to the arm chair. Billy immediately wheeled himself over to his son, trying to calm his shaking form. That's when Sam looked up and noticed me sitting on the couch, silent from shock.

"Bella," he acknowledged. Three heads turned in my direction, and Jacob's snapped up, staring toward me.

"Bella," he said softly, lovingly. He shoved past Sam and Billy, and bounded over to the couch in two easy strides. He leaned down and kissed me, and I could feel the others' eyes on the two of us. They had to know about me and Jake, but they were obviously taken by surprise. Jacob ignored the stares, and pulled away to kiss me on the forehead. "You're okay," he smiled.

I nodded in assurance. "Are you?" The question was directed at all five of the boys, who each had a stern looked in their eyes, one I recognized. They were focused on whatever was going on.

Embry smiled at me friendly. He spoke up first. "We're great, Bella. How have you been?" He raised his eyebrow suggestively. Before I could answer, Paul interrupted in an irritated voice.

"Actually, we're not great, Bella, because now we have to hunt down your stupid bloodsu…" He broke off midsentence at Jacob's menacing growl from my side. I understood exactly what he was about to say though.

"Was one of the Cullen's on the reservation last night?" I stared seriously at Jacob, expecting the truth. I could tell Jacob was about to crack, but then his face hardened into an apathetic mask.

"There's nothing for you to worry about." He gave me a quick kiss on the lips, dismissing the subject. He lifted himself from the couch, pulling me up with him. He looked at the rest of the pack. "You guys can take care of the place for a while, right?" He didn't even wait for an answer before dragging me out of the stuffy living room. Surprisingly, it wasn't raining, so we walked outside to the front lawn.

He turned and looked at me happily, all traces of anger gone. "How was your day?" he asked as he snaked his arms around my waist. We were facing each other and my arms were around his neck; my hands burned from the warmth, but it felt good.

"It was great," I answered truthfully. His warm brown eyes were smoldering, and made me forget about the problematic situation taking place inside.

"I'm glad," he grinned hugely. "Although, it couldn't have been that good, since I wasn't there," he teased. I rolled my eyes jokingly.

"Nah, that's why it was so good." I laughed at his playfully shocked expression.

"Ouch," he whined, dramatically throwing his hand over his heart. "That hurt." I chuckled and he joined in. I was happy to hear his carefree laughter, knowing I had brightened his mood marginally. I rested my cheek against his warm, muscled chest, and sighed contently. He squeezed me tightly. I could have stayed like that forever.

"Hey, what are you doing a week from today?" Jacob asked into my hair.

"Absolutely nothing."

"Good." I waited for him to continue, and then looked up at him curiously when he didn't. He laughed at my puzzled expression and just hugged me tighter. I was surrounded by his warmth, and couldn't help but smile into his chest. He kissed my hair sweetly, and from the protection of his strong arms wrapped around me, I heard a soft rustling in the trees. Pained footsteps dashing away.

**A/N: **I know I said this chapter wasn't going to be angsty, but I couldn't help myself. There's a lot of fluff in there too, though! Again, thank you all so much for the support; you guys are incredible! I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Reviews are appreciated :]


	6. Bliss

**Disclaimer: **Everything related to Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer.

[Thanks to my amazing beta, Taylor. I owe you!]

Chapter 6: Bliss

Despite the excitement and anxiety filled weekend, the week began and passed slowly and uneventfully. I gladly welcomed the tediousness, instead of being bored by it. It was a nice change. Spring Break was just around the corner for Forks High, so every teacher was cramming in tests and projects, raising my stress level exponentially.

After school on Wednesday, I drove straight home so I could study for my numerous exams. The house was quiet and I was having a hard time concentrating, so I grabbed my science textbook and went outside. It was surprisingly light outside, despite the ominous cloud cover, so I set up a beach chair in the back yard and tried, unsuccessfully, to study. I was finally focused when the phone rang. It was Mike; he was pleading with me to pick up an extra shift at the store since Katie had called in sick and he was supposed to be in charge for the day. I knew I had to study, but I agreed and spent the rest of the afternoon at Newton's.

Thursday started out on a poor note---I was almost certain I failed my English test---and got progressively worse as the day went on. During homeroom, a usually pointless facet of the day, I started feeling dizzy while the teacher was making announcements. The rest of the students were throwing around paper airplanes or playing hacky sack, and I laid my head on the desk and shut my eyes. I hadn't gotten any sleep the night before; I had woken up at 1:10 like usual, screaming, but I couldn't fall back into unconsciousness. The sleep deprivation elicited the dizziness, and contributed to my disaster of an English test. When the bell rang to leave, I stood up too quickly, and to my mortification, fainted.

I woke up disoriented in the nurse's office, a place I had visited often. I was confused for a moment before I recollected the reason for my visit. I flushed red, utterly embarrassed that my entire homeroom had witnessed me faint. I moaned loudly, causing the nurse to come flying in, looking alarmed.

"Are you alright, dear?" she asked, hovering over the plastic cot I was laying on. I made a show of sitting up to assure the nurse I was okay.

"I'm fine," I told her honestly. "I just forgot where I was, that's all," I lied. Apparently the nurse believed me.

"Don't worry, it happens all the time." The elderly nurse tried to comfort me and did not succeed. "You have a visitor," she added. "I tried to get them to leave, but they insisted they stay until you woke up." At first I was horrified; I wanted as little people as possible to know about my little incident. However, I was also a bit curious, wondering who would care enough to stay.

"Okay," I told the nurse, and she walked into the front room to retrieve my visitor. He pushed past the grandmotherly lady, and relief washed across his beautiful face when he saw me sitting up on the cot, fully aware and conscious. I felt the opposite of relief as I gawked at him uncomfortably.

"Hi," he said as he came over and crouched next to the cot. "How are you feeling?" His velvety voice asked, saturated with concern.

"I'm fine," I told him. "Just embarrassed," I added honestly. I was surprised to hear Edward chuckle.

"Don't be, it happens all the time," he teasingly mimicked the nurse. I rolled my eyes at him, and he smiled. I was surprised at myself and how naturally the conversation was going; we hadn't spoken since the night at the La Push line, when tensions were running high. Staring at his perfectly sculpted face and warm golden eyes, I realized that I wanted Edward in my life, just not in the way he was before.

Edward was still crouching awkwardly next to the cot, his back against the plastered wall.

"Are you uncomfortable? You can sit," I offered, moving my feet out of the way.

"Thank you," he replied happily, moving to perch on the edge of the bed. I was proud of myself, glad that I could willingly talk to him without feeling pain. I had Jacob to thank for that. But I had Jacob to thank for a lot of things.

"How did you know I fainted?" I asked Edward, my cheeks turning rosy pink. He laughed in response.

"I was with Alice," he jested. "She wanted to come too, but I told her to go to class and I would stay. She thought you wouldn't want me here." He looked down at his hands. "I didn't think you wouldn't either."

"But you still came?" I questioned. He looked up and stared into my eyes, and I could have sworn at that moment, had he been human, that he would have been blushing.

"Yeah," he laughed.

"Oh," was all I could manage to say. "Thanks."

"Bella," he replied. "I need you in my life," he stated blatantly. "Even if it's just as my friend. I just want to be your friend again." His eyes were smoldering and his expression was pleading. I wanted to respond quickly, to assure him I wanted the same thing. But there was a lot I had to think about. For the sake of my mental stability, I had to think about it.

"We can try, I suppose," I said after a minute. A brief smirk flashed across his face, and I realized he had said the exact same words at the start of our friendship, over a year ago. It seemed like much more than a year had passed in that span of time. So much had happened; it was hard to wrap my mind around it all. Edward could see the conflict in my eyes, and his expression fell immediately. I thought he was deliberating whether or not I wanted to be his friend, so I was surprised with the next words out of his mouth. It turns out our thoughts were in sync.

"I know how much I've put you through." His voice melted in self-inflicted infuriation, and then turned soft with pain. "And you can't possibly comprehend how miserable I am. I am regretful for every single day of my life that I let you go. And I am truly sorry for all of the damage I caused, although you should know it was never my intention. Even now, I hope you realize how much you mean to me. How much you will always mean to me. I know you've moved on, and I don't blame you for doing so. You deserve to be happy, and if Jacob provides that happiness, so be it. But you will _always_ be the most important thing to me."

I sat silently listening to his voice, on the verge of tears. There were so many emotions flooding through me. A single tear ran down my clammy cheek, and I flicked it away quickly. I opened my mouth to speak, but Edward interrupted me.

"I know I screwed everything up," he said shamefully, looking at the wall behind me instead of my face. His entire speech had kept his perfect articulation, so I was surprised by the casualness of his statement. "But I just want to thank you for the months we were together. I've lived nearly 110 years, and those 7 months were the happiest of my life. The happiest of my _existence_," he corrected. It was such a subtle replacement of words, but the meanings held a significant difference.

There was so much to think about, and so much I wanted to say, but I couldn't get the words out. I was chocking on the lump in my throat, and my mind was spinning in circles, overwhelmed. I was sniffling embarrassingly, and tried to swipe away the tears faster than they were pouring out. Edward looked at my face after not hearing a response, and noticed for the first time that I was crying. To my surprise, he impulsively leaned over and wrapped his arms around me. It was nothing more than a friendly gesture, and I squeezed him back fiercely.

The sounds of the nurse's footsteps made both Edward and I turn our heads in the direction of the doorway. The nurse's face look astonished at our embrace and misinterpreted the emotion on our faces.

"Oh goodness, dear, you just fainted, nothing to worry about!" She briskly made her way over to the small cot and patted me on the shoulder. Edward and I looked at each other amusingly. Edward and I had escaped death before, and the nurse assumed we were emotional over my fainting. We broke out in unified hysterics. The nurse's eyebrows knit together in confusion, and then she shuffled back into the main office.

I was suddenly exhausted, and the lack of sleep the night before was starting to take effect on my body. My eyelids started drooping and I leaned my head back against the hard wall. Edward jumped off the cot and started walking toward the doorway.

"Rest up; we don't need any more fainting spells." He smiled angelically before disappearing through the door.

I wasn't quite sure how the hole in my chest would react to our exchange, but right now I felt whole and pieced together. I knew today had been a breaking point, and maybe finally things could start to feel normal again. I had Jacob in my life, and now I had Edward too. At least, we were headed in that direction. For the first time since I had arrived in Forks, I felt like everything was exactly as it should be, like all the jumbled pieces of my life were starting to shape together. I had no idea what was going to happen next, but for now, I was happy. Because for the first time in a while, I felt hope.

***

The rest of the week passed by as slowly as it began, Thursday being the sole exception. Edward took our friendship slowly, not wanting to push me, and I was extremely thankful for that. When we saw each other in passing, we would smile and wave and then continue on our way. Edward, Alice and I even ate lunch together now, peacefully coinciding with my previous table mates. Mostly people just ignored Edward, or didn't acknowledge the addition at all. I had a feeling Mike wasn't too thrilled about it, but he was a hard boy to please.

By the time Friday rolled around again I was thrilled. Not only was it the final day before Spring Break, but I was excited to spend time with Jacob on Saturday. I was in an unusually cheery mood throughout the day.

"Bella! Bella! Bella!" I heard my name being called repeatedly on my way to lunch, the bell-like voice echoing through the long hallways. I raised my eyebrows as I recognized the wind-chime voice, and turned my head smiling. As expected, Alice was hustling down the hall, an image of graceful beauty. When she reached me she stood stoically with a devious smile on her face. Her eyes were lit up in excitement and evasions.

"Good morning, Alice," I greeted happily, and took her side as we headed out of the math building toward the cafeteria.

She stared at me steadily---grinning hugely---without blinking.

"Okay, you're freaking me out," I told her honestly. She wouldn't stop staring at me and it was making me self-conscious. "What are you looking at?" I asked insecurely, fidgeting with my jacket zipper. I had to look away from her glorious stare.

"Oh nothing," she said and snapped out of her gaze. We were nearing the cafeteria when Mike and Tyler came over to meet us.

"Hey Bella. Hey Alice," Mike greeted.

"Hello boys," Alice and I said at the exact same time. It made us giggle childishly.

"You know," I heard Tyler whisper to Mike. "Sometimes I swear Alice and Bella are the twins." That sent us in another fit of laughter.

The four of us bounded over to our usual table, where Angela and Ben were already sitting. They greeted us and we all took our usual places. Everyone was in a good mood today; with vacation just a few blocks away.

"Bella, do you have any plans for the vacation?" Mike asked conversationally.

"You mean _besides_ earning a living at your parents sporting store?" I teased. He laughed along a little too enthusiastically.

"No, seriously," he prompted.

I deliberated for a moment and looked around the table. Only Mike was listening to me; Angela and Ben were in a deep conservation and Alice was looking off into the distance. Tyler had disappeared from the table altogether.

"Actually," I started. "I have plans with Jacob tomorrow night." To my surprise, Mike smiled in encouragement.

"Oh, cool," he nodded. "Well, you'll have to tell me about it when you come to work on Monday. Maybe we could take another trip up to First Beach like we did last year."

I gawked at him in surprise, until Alice kicked me under the table. "Oh," I shook out of my stupor. "Yeah, definitely!" Mike turned back to Angela and Ben smiling, obviously pleased.

"Thanks," I whispered to Alice under my breath.

"Anytime," she responded happily. "So, you have plans with Jake this weekend?" There was an unmistakable twinkle in her eye, and her smile was deceitful.

"Okay, what's up? You've been acting like crazy psychotic Alice all day."

"Hey!" she retorted. "I resent that!"

I raised my eyebrow at her. I could see right through her pretenses. "What did you see?" I asked habitually. Her face dropped for a fraction of a second before she contained her perfect angel's mask.

"I have no idea what you are talking about," she said snidely, and made a show of turning her head. I chuckled but dropped it, and starting talking to Mike about his vacation plans. He was excitedly chattering about some sort of band camp.

The rest of the day passed slowly, the way it always does when you're waiting impatiently for something. I woke up Saturday morning giddy and euphoric. I spent the day trying to stay busy, because whenever I thought about my evening plans I would become nearly disabled with excitement. To distract myself for an hour or two, I decided to go for a jog around the neighborhood. It was surprisingly a nice day out, the sun was almost shining and the air was dry and warm.

I changed into a baggy white t-shirt and black yoga shorts, and pulled my hair back into a ponytail. My legs were abnormally pale in the dim light, and it made me self-conscious. I popped in my ear-buds and put my iPod on full blast, starting up the road. It was slightly foggy but very pleasant running weather. Unfortunately, I tripped or stumbled at least once for every few feet I traveled, so it wasn't very successful. Half way around the block I got distracted by the sound of a car passing and accidently ran head first into a telephone poll.

I decided to stop running after that, and shamefully trudged home. I had a splitting headache from the collision, and my good mood diminished significantly. When I got back home, the house was dark and empty, like usual. I went straight to the bathroom and groaned in horror.

"Perfect," I muttered angrily as I inspected the swollen bruise under my right eye. The ideal accessory for my date tonight; a black eye.

I jumped in the shower and let the warm water soothe my skin, relaxing my muscles and alleviating the ache around my eye. I put ice on it afterward in hopes of calming the swelling before I left to go to La Push.

Charlie came home shortly after; he had spent the day fishing with a new guy from the station. When he saw me coming down the stairs, all dolled up, he smiled as he took in my outfit.

"Well, don't you look nice," he commented. "What is all this fo..." he stopped when he finally noticed my face, and instead of continuing his sentence, he started laughing so hard tears were in his eyes.

I pouted, offended. "What happened to you?" he asked.

"Nothing," I replied hastily.

"Well, you do look very nice. No one will notice the black eye." With that I fled back up to the bathroom, mentally formulating methods to conceal the purplish bruises. I turned into the bathroom, and was startled by a figure sitting on the lip of the bathtub. Alice was sitting with her legs crossed, an over-flowing bag of cosmetics in her lap.

"Need some help?"

"Please," I begged. I spent the next hour sitting on the closed toilet seat while Alice bustled around me, fixing my hair and disguising the black eye. She was humming a soft tune as she paid attention to her work.

"Alice," I complained. "I have to leave soon. Don't go overboard, remember?"

"Sorry, sorry!" She applied one last swipe of blush across my cheek. "But look," she reasoned and pointed toward the mirror. When I looked in the glass, I was stunned.

My hair fell in gentle curls, with two strands twisted back and held together with a barrette. My skin looked flawless, and the heavy mascara made my eyes pop. The black eye was perfectly concealed; there wasn't a trace of purple or even a bump.

"Alice, you're incredible!" I squealed, and jumped toward her, hastily throwing my arms around her waist. She chuckled at my enthusiasm, and was pleased with my reaction. She was beaming.

"Well, I better go. You don't want to be late." She started climbing through the opened bathroom window.

"Wait!" I called. "How did you know I needed you?" I asked curiously.

Alice halted her escape and stopped to stare at me. Then she reached out her hand sarcastically.

"Hi, my name is Alice Cullen. I can see the future. It's a pleasure." I rolled my eyes at her.

"No," I corrected. "I mean, what _exactly_ did you see for tonight?" She mischievously raised one eyebrow and smiled, and then climbed through the window and disappeared.

"Alice!" I growled, and I heard a ghostly chuckle from outside. _"Ugh, I hate when she does that!"_ I muttered to myself. I left the bathroom and ran into my room to grab my phone off the charger. I was surprised I hadn't heard anything from Charlie in that past hour; he must be absorbed in a sports game.

Shortly after, I was in my truck, heading west out of Forks. When I pulled into the Black's driveway, the sky was cloudless and clear; it was an uncommonly beautiful night. Jacob jogged out to meet me, dressed in khaki pants and a white button down shirt. It was short sleeved and his biceps were popping out of the sleeves. He was wearing a woven Quileute necklace that peeked out from under the collar. He looked beautiful.

"Hey Bells," he opened my door and kissed me. I stepped out of the Chevy smiling.

"Hey Jacob." He pulled his hands out from behind his back, presenting me with a bunch of orange roses, my favorite color.

"Aw Jake," I choked, lifting the flowers to my nose. Their floral scent was hypnotizing. "They're beautiful. Thank you." I reached up on my tiptoes to kiss him.

"Anything for my girl," he responded, throwing his arm around my shoulder. "Are you ready to go?"

"Where are we going?" I asked, letting my voice express the honest curiosity I was feeling. I had no idea what Jake had up his sleeve, but I didn't really care either way. As long as I was with Jacob, I would enjoy myself.

We climbed into Jacob's vintage rabbit, where a short piece of cloth was resting on the passenger seat. I picked it up questioningly.

"A blindfold?" I asked skeptically.

Jacob smiled. "Put it on," he instructed. I made sure I was seated and buckled in and then wrapped the blind fold securely around my head. It was a strange sensation being blind, but I trusted Jacob.

It felt like we had only been driving for a few minutes but I couldn't be sure. When the car stopped, I heard the car doors open and then Jacob's warm hands were on my skin, clutching my arms and leading me.

After a few steps, Jacob stopped me and leaned down, lifting each one of my legs and taking off my shoes. I wasn't quite sure what he was doing until he placed my bare feet back on the ground, and my toes sunk in the soft sand. I gasped in surprise, and then used my other senses to take in my surroundings. Jacob grabbed my hand and pulled me along, and I could now hear the crashing waves. I could smell the salt in the air, and the cool breeze was blowing the hair out of my face.

We kept walking along until Jacob abruptly stopped, letting go of my hand. I absently reached for it again, but his hands were on my face. His finger brushed along my cheek bone, and then he gently pulled the blindfold over my head.

"Surprise," he murmured softly. I opened my eyes, and found myself at a loss for words. Set up under two beach wood trees was a blanket and a wooden basket. The blanket was surrounded by candles, and quiet music was playing from a stereo. I gaped at the scene with my mouth hanging open.

"This is our tree, remember?"

I turned to him, still surprised, and nodded. I remembered every moment I spent with him.

"You did all this?" I asked in amazement. "For me?"

He smiled a breathtaking smile. "Of course." He grabbed my hand and we walked the short distance to the blanket. I sat down on the quilt, curling my feet under me while Jacob started removing food from the basket. The sun was just starting to set over the water, and splashes of orange and pink filled the sky, reflecting over the ocean. Jacob leaned against one of the trees, snacking on Doritos.

"It's beautiful," I commented, looking toward the horizon.

Jacob was staring right at me. "Yeah," he agreed. "Just like you." I flushed red and looked down. When I looked up again, his face was right in front of mine. His hand caressed my cheek, and he leaned in swiftly, crushing his lips to mine. I kissed him back fiercely, clutching tufts of hair on that back of his head.

When we pulled away, our smiles were identical. "Come on." He lifted me off the blanket and dragged me toward the shoreline. "We're going swimming."

"What?" I asked alarmed. Jacob chuckled and abruptly lifted me off the ground, scooping me into his arms. He jogged toward the water and sloshed through the shallow waves, before smiling cunningly.

"Don't," I warned, but he just laughed, and dropped me straight into the water. I cut through the surface, before being caught again by Jacob's arms. He cradled me against his damp chest. The sky above us was a dark blue, the stars shining brightly. The two of us splashed along in the water, floating around for a while. The water was surprisingly warm and calm.

"It's such a nice night. A Forks rarity," I laughed. Jacob laughed too.

"I know. I paid a visit to your psychic bloodsucker to make sure the weather was going to be nice for tonight."

"So _that's_ why Alice was so giddy today. She knew about all this?"

"Yep," Jacob beamed. "You know, she's not so bad. The little one."

I nodded in encouragement. "She's the best." Jacob twirled me around in the water, and pointed up the sky. He was naming all the constellations; astronomy had always been his favorite subject in school.

"Do you see that star right there?" Jacob squinted his eye and pointed up to the western sky. It took me a moment to figure out where he was pointing.

"The really bright one?" I wondered, unsure.

He nodded. "That star. That star's for you." I blushed again, hoping Jacob couldn't see it in the dark. Of course, he could. He looked at me happily until his face suddenly fell.

"What happened to your face?"

"Oh," I stuttered, automatically reaching up to my eye. The water must have washed away the make-up. I wonder how bad it looked. "I ran into a pole today when I went for a run."

He shook his head in amusement. "What am I going to do with you?" He leaned in and kissed me right under the crook of my right eye, and then rubbed it tenderly with his thumb. He looked down at me, standing in the middle of the ocean; his eyes were a pale brown. It was almost completely black out, and a cool breeze blew through the beach. I involuntarily shivered. Jacob noticed my chattering teeth and wrapped his warm arms around me. My clothes and hair were soaked.

"Alice will be disappointed; she worked so hard on my hair," I whispered into his chest.

Jacob laughed, and pulled his fingers through the tangles surrounding my face. "I like it. I like _you_."

I giggled. "I like you too." He kissed my forehead and held me to him. My mood was blissful, there was no where I would rather be; surrounded by Jacob's warmth under the light of the stars.

**A/N: **Here's a lengthy chapter for you all. I spent my week writing this chapter instead of studying for my finals. Haha. Well I hope you enjoyed this chapter :] Reviews are appreciated!


	7. Family Matters

**Disclaimer: **Everything related to Twilight belongs to the amazing Stephenie Meyer.

[As always, thanks to my beta, TCams. HA.]

Chapter 7: Family Matters

"Hey, pass me that carton, will you?" I tilted my head toward the fridge where the milk was sitting on the adjacent countertop.

"Sure thing." Jacob bounded over from the kitchen table and retrieved the milk, and then hopped up on the counter next to me, kissing my cheek. I giggled as I slowly stirred in the milk, peeking a glance at the timer on the oven. I placed the top on the pot and wiped my hands on my apron.

"Come here," Jacob beckoned with his arms and I shuffled over and stood between his legs. He wound his arms around my waist, pulling me to him.

"You know, you really shouldn't sit on the countertop. It's kind of unsanitary." Jacob laughed hysterically, but pushed me away slightly so he could jump down to the floor without taking his hands off me.

"You look cute in that apron," he smirked and I rolled my eyes at him. I went back to the stove to stir the pasta, so Jacob repositioned himself to stand behind me, his chin resting on my shoulder. "And," he added, "your cooking is amazing." He turned his face to kiss my cheek, eliciting a bright blush. He laughed and brushed his finger across my cheekbone, standing up and heading for the doorway. I went back to cooking, humming an off-tone tune.

"Hey!" I heard Jacob yell through the doorway. "Knock it off!" I turned quizzically to look at him but he wasn't facing me, he was already briskly making his way into my living room. I didn't understand what was going on; Jake and I were the only ones home.

From the interior of the living room, I could hear furniture slamming into walls and then Jacob's booming voice. "What the hell is going on in here?" he yelled furiously, deathly stern. With that exclamation, I hurried into the hall and gasped in surprise at the sight. Our couch was pushed up against the wall and the arm chair was flipped over on its side. Jacob was in the middle of the room pinning Paul to the floor, playful growls erupting from their chests. Embry dodged the wrestling pair and walked over to sit cross legged on the couch, completely unfazed. He indifferently turned on the television while Jared jumped into the pile of shirtless boys.

I leaned against the doorway of the living room, and instead of freaking out, I couldn't help but chuckle. I crossed my arms over my chest and watched with a smile at those crazy wolf boys.

I cleared my throat loudly. "Well excuse me for interrupting this pow-wow." All four heads snapped up in my direction, and their eyes widened; their facial expressions all screamed guilty. Jacob jumped up instinctively, throwing Jared into the couch and grabbing a handful of Paul's ribbed beater. He was pissed.

"How dare you come here and mess up Bella's house!" he screamed right in Paul's face. Paul cringed back from Jacob's proximity, but Jared and Embry just watched television like they had seen the whole ordeal numerous times before. I'm sure they had.

"No," I chimed in, walking into the living room. "It's fine! You boys are always welcome here," I assured. Embry looked up from the couch and smiled.

"Thanks Bella," he grinned.

"Yeah," Jared interrupted, "your cooking is almost as good as Em's." He winked playfully at me, and I shook my head smiling. Jacob was still fuming, so I went over and put my hand on his chest, looking up at him knowingly. He let go of Paul's tank top, and his face softened.

"Thank you," Paul gratefully said out of breath and kissed me on the cheek. "Now, I better get out of here before Jacob takes a snap out of me." Everyone laughed in unison as Jacob swung at Paul, who was already running through the front door.

"Don't forget tonight!" Jared yelled from the couch.

Paul was already out the door but we could still hear his ragged voice. "I'll be there!"

"What's happening tonight?" I inquired as Jacob came to put his arm around my waist.

His smile was bright and gleaming. "It's pack night."

"Woot woot!" Jared and Embry hollered from the couch and Jacob reached over to throw a pillow at them. I laughed at how jovial they were all acting; it was cute to watch.

"Am I supposed to know what that means?"

"The five of us started a new tradition; every week we get together and hang out. Play games, go to the beach, all kinds of stuff. Sometimes we have competitions," Jacob chortled playfully. "And obviously you'll be attending tonight," he added with a smile and kissed me on the forehead.

"Ohh, I'm excited," I said condescendingly. Jacob chuckled at my sarcasm.

"It'll be fun, I promise. And it will be nice to have everyone together. Emily and Sam are coming too. And tonight we'll be on neutral land so you can bring the little bloodsucker if you'd like."

"Alice," I corrected. I stressed the name so that he would stop using the word 'bloodsucker.' It sounded so vulgar to me. "Her name is Alice, Jake. Can we please stop with the derogatory slurs?"

"Right, right sorry. Alice. I'd like to see her again. She was nice." I was beyond happy that Jake and Alice liked each other. There was nothing I wanted more than for my boyfriend and best friend to approve of each other, and my newly attained friend I knew would not be as excepting about Jake, or the other way around. Edward and Jake hated each other. A lot.

"I'll call her and see if she wants to come. She might not you know."

"Oh, I know," Jacob responded. "I don't think the other boys will be too thrilled to be in her presence either. But they'll have to deal." I smiled and squeezed him tightly.

"It's not her fault that _someone_ can't follow the rules," I heard him mumble under his breath.

"What was that?" I asked ignorantly, although I knew exactly what he had said. My subconscious chose to ignore it.

"Nothing," he answered. At the moment, I remembered the pot of pasta on the stove and the lemon chicken I had simmering in the oven. I flitted without a word to the kitchen, my hands grabbing at the pot lid and making sure I hadn't burnt everything. To my mere astonishment, I was just in time; nothing was burnt. I was surprised I had lucked out this time. Even as a child I had never been blessed with good luck.

I pulled the colander out of the cupboard and started draining the pasta when the phone rang. I set the strainer in the sink and rushed over to answer it.

"Bella? It's Alice," she announced, before I could even say hello.

"Hey Alice!" I greeted excitedly.

"What time should I be ready?" she asked inquisitively.

"What?" I asked, confused.

"I believe I was invited to attend pack night, isn't that correct?" I could tell she was smiling hugely on the other side of the phone.

"Oh!" I understood immediately. "Yeah! You really want to come?"

"I wouldn't miss it for the world," she laughed. "I'll be over at 5." I hung up the phone smirking, when Jacob, Embry and Jared sauntered into the kitchen, each taking a place at the table. The food was ready so I made them each a plate and we all ate together; a rather dysfunctional, yet happy, family.

***

As promised, Alice was at my doorstop promptly at five o'clock. She and I sat in the living room watching television waiting for Jake to arrive. I had no idea where this wolf shin-dig was happening and he had to lead the way. I was a little worried about bringing Alice; I didn't know how the boys would respond to a vampire being so close. Especially if they were phasing and going to be in their wolf forms.

When Jake showed up, covered in rain, he was wearing a sweatshirt and black jean cut-offs. I stared peculiarly at him as he greeted Alice and kissed me.

"Why are you wearing a sweatshirt? You must be burning up." He quickly pulled it over his head, revealing his tan muscular chest.

"I brought it for you, babe. Just in case it got cold," he corrected. Alice inconspicuously nudged my shoulder, and when Jake walked out of the room, squealed.

"Oh my _god,_ you guys are cute!" I giggled along with her. Jacob came back in with a blanket, interrupting our moment of estrogen induced glee.

"Alright ladies, let's go." Jacob took my hand as he led me into the backyard, Alice in tow behind us. She was giddy as per usual, obviously excited for the night's events. We walked to the forest edge where the trail into the woods began. The canopy of the trees acted as an umbrella from the misting rain. Light gray clouds covered the sky but the sun would be just beginning to descend through the sky.

Jacob was walking at a quick pace, winding through the green forest, our entangled hands swinging between our two bodies. The temperature was starting to drop, and even though Jacob was shirtless and shoeless he didn't seem bothered. I was wearing my winter parka which would have done a sufficient job of keeping me warm, but I wanted to take it off so I could wear Jacob's sweatshirt. Something about that sweet gesture was too adorable to pass up.

About 3 and a half miles in, Jacob took an abrupt turn to the right, taking us off the trail. He peeked over his shoulder to make sure Alice was still with us, and then squeezed my fingers softly. A few more feet ahead was a wall of brushy foliage, which Jacob held aside for Alice and me to step through. We were suddenly in a clearing, one I had never seen before or known existed, with the rest of the boys already there. Emily was lounging under two trees, curled up on a blanket with a book in her hands. Jared and Embry were throwing a football and Paul was on the far side of the field bouncing impatiently and stretching. Every head snapped up at our arrival.

"Alright," Paul said excitedly, "let the wolf games begin!" He was already growling, his form shimmering.

"Wait!" Jacob called loudly, and sprinted back to me and Alice who had hovered near the clearing entrance. We hadn't even seen him walk off. "The boys know not to come within twenty feet of you two, and if they even look this way in their wolf form I will rip their throats outs. But just be careful anyway, okay? Don't do anything to give me a heart attack," he winked at me but his face was serious.

"Don't worry," I smiled. "Go have fun." He reached out and pulled me into a tight hug before jogging back to the small circle the boys had formed. Sam slowly glided over to the circle; the others waited with respect for their alpha. Alice and I paraded over to the blanket where Emily was sitting, who greeted us politely with a smile.

"Bella," she said gently, and stood up to hug me. Her hair was in one long silky braid that rested on one shoulder. She was wearing jeans and a hoodie, which surprised me. She had never dressed so casually before. She looked beautiful none the less.

"Emily, it's good to see you!"

"It's wonderful to see you too," she replied. "It's been a while." She was eyeing Alice carefully but her happy expression didn't change.

"This is my friend Alice," I introduced.

Alice curtsied and held out her hand. "It's nice to meet you." I watched in amusement as Emily shook her hand, looking wary but trying to hide it.

"So, you're a vampire huh?"

"Yep," Alice laughed carelessly and sat down next to Emily on the blanket. "What are you reading?" she asked sincerely. For a moment I worried, I forgot to tell Alice not to stare at Emily's scars. But of course, no Cullen would act so rudely.

Emily looked surprised by Alice's friendliness. "Um, Margaret Mitchell's _Gone With the Wind_," she said with her slight Quileute accent.

"That is, in my opinion, one of the greatest novels of all time," Alice replied, grinning beautifully. Emily nodded encouragingly and started talking animatedly with Alice. I leaned against a nearby tree---donning Jacob's massive sweatshirt---not wanting to disturb their budding friendship. It brought a huge smile to my face.

The five husky boys had departed from their circle and were now heading off in all different directions. Jared slipped off his light tee shirt and threw it, ridiculously far, to the side of the field. Embry was removing his Nike sneakers while Sam spoke in a low voice; creating a course.

"Wait till you see this," Emily mused, putting down her book. Alice looked excited.

"What are they doing?" I wondered out loud.

"An obstacle course," she answered with a grin. "They go a little overboard." I looked up to see Jacob and Sam lugging a giant tree trunk to the center of the clearing. I had to look twice to clarify what I was seeing. Jared and Paul were right behind them, carrying another tree. They stacked it, somehow, on top of the first.

"Alright ladies," Sam announced degradingly, "sprint to the log wall, jump it, clear the river, wind through the forest edge, pick a lovely flower from Miss Bella's house and haul it back here. Got it?"

"Let's do this!" Paul said hurriedly and the five all came close to our blanket, standing at an unmarked starting line.

"_That's_ their obstacle course? Isn't that a bit extreme?" I asked Emily, anxiety seeping into my voice. She laughed at my expression.

"Oh no, they can get _much_ more complicated."

The five boys lined up in a row, parallel to the stacked tree trunks, but 500 yards away. I thought it was comical how they referred to them as logs. The boys stood still until Sam whistled loudly; the sound was deafening. They all took off sprinting, except for Jacob who remained standing, rocking back on his heels. He turned to look at me and winked.

"What is he doing?"

At that moment Jacob started ahead running, far behind the other boys. Sam was in the lead, mere steps away from the log wall. Paul was pushing Jared out of the way, slamming him to the ground. Jared jumped back up swearing, until he turned around to stare at Jake; exactly what I was doing. Jacob's arm started shaking, and then his whole body was vibrating violently. His head snapped back in a frustrated growl before he leapt forward in the air, landing on four furry paws.

"Hey!" the four boys yelled in unison as the russet colored wolf sped by them, jumping the log wall and heading east into the forest toward the Sol Duc River. They quickly followed suit, phasing on the fly and running into the rainforest.

A few minutes later, Jacob emerged human from the left side of the clearing, armed with a handful of red poppies. I had planted them in the backyard a few weeks ago. "Suckers," he muttered over confidently, and trouped over to our blanket and kissed me on the cheek.

"I win," he whispered into my cheek. He handed me the flowers. "For you my dear." He pulled out two more from his back pocket and handed one each to Emily and Alice. "Lovely flowers for lovely ladies," he smiled, and Alice and Emily beamed.

"Thank you Jacob!" they said together.

"I better go wait for those chumps," Jake laughed and started walking back into the center of the clearing. Sam was just cutting through the edge of the trees, Paul right behind him. Alice, Emily and I all died from laughing as they immediately started bickering, pushing and shoving each other like little boys.

Eventually, after grudgingly declaring Jacob winner, the boys decided to play a pickup game of football. They were making teams but there were only five of them, and no one wanted to be on the weaker side.

Jacob came jogging over to our laid out blanket looking hopeful. "Would one of you ladies like to play with us?" he asked. "Not Bella," he added under his breath, coughing it out. I squinted my eyes at him but he smiled hugely.

"Alice?" he suggested. I looked over, surprised, to catch Alice's reaction. She looked surprised for a moment too, before her face lit up in delight.

"I would love to!" she squealed, and bounded up from the blanket. Walking next to Jacob, she looked so slight and breakable.

"Be careful!" I yelled out. She turned around and stuck her tongue out at me. The other boys were all hesitant when Alice walked over, and Paul was fuming, but one look from Sam made them all smile politely.

Alice was playing with Jacob and Embry against Sam, Paul and Jared. I went to sit cross-legged next to Emily on the blanket, and we cheered equally for both teams. Alice was amazingly graceful on the field, and kept up with all the muscled boys that stood several feet taller than her.

Em and I screamed enthusiastically when Alice scored a touchdown, earning dainty high-fives from Embry and Jacob. My phone started vibrating in my pocket, so I looked down at the caller ID; Dad.

"Hello?"

"Bells, guess what I just found out!"

"What, Dad?"

"Lindsey is coming to stay with us for a few weeks next month," he informed.

I tried to hide my horror. "Oh, that's…" I stuttered, "awesome."

"I knew you'd be excited!" he cheered. "Well I have to go but I'll talk to you when you get home. Have fun with Jake!" I hung up the phone and looked at Emily, completely horrified.

"What's wrong?" she asked, concerned.

"My cousin is coming to stay with me for a few weeks," I whined. Lindsey and I had never gotten along as kids; obviously our respective parents were totally ignorant to that fact. Lindsey was the daughter of my uncle Jack, Charlie's only brother. She was a year younger than me, and my complete opposite; she was blond and beautiful and a conceited brat. Emily laughed when I told her this; I didn't realize I had been venting.

"Well," she said, trying to lighten the mood, "maybe you can bring her to the wedding."

"Yeah, maybe," I replied automatically, about to complain some more, until I realized what she said. I turned to her, gasping, and the smile on her face was devious.

"Oh my god, no way!" I started bouncing up and down excitedly. Emily held out her left hand, revealing a large diamond set in a thin gold band.

"Sam asked yesterday," she squealed.

"Congratulations!" I hugged her tightly. I was so excited for Emily and Sam, they had been dating forever. It made me think about the crazy process that was imprinting. I couldn't help but let my mind wander as I stared out at Jacob, running around playfully with his brothers and a petite out of place vampire.

Emily noticed my worried expression, and her mind must have been exactly where mine was.

"You know what my mother always used to tell me?" I shook my head slowly. "Everything that's meant to be will always find its way." She smiled encouragingly. "Everyone can see it Bella, even if you can't. You and Jacob have always meant to be together." I smiled at her words and looked back out at Jacob. He caught my eye and smiled a huge breathtaking white grin. Then he placed his hand over his heart and pointed at me. I blushed and looked down, taking in the scent coming off of Jacob's sweatshirt. It made me smile.

**A/N: **Sorry guys, I know this update is a little late. But thankfully it is finally summer :)

Again, I am so extremely thankful for all of you, it blows my mind that people actually read my work.

I hope you guys enjoy this chapter, and reviews are appreciated :)


	8. Breaking Prejudices

**Disclaimer: **Everything related to Twilight belongs to SMeyer.

[Thanks forever to my beta, Taylor!]

Chapter 8: Breaking Prejudices

I woke up late Monday morning, pleasantly surprised that I didn't have to get ready for school. I rolled over and curled up under my blankets, welcoming the warmth of my bed. These days I preferred the warmth; that was a recent change in preference. I looked to my bedside table where a frame held a tattered picture; me and Jacob, aged 5 and 7, splashing around in the tide pools at La Push. I stared at the picture and smiled, remembering the source of the change.

When I finally rolled out of bed, I sauntered into the bathroom and took my time in the shower. I washed out my long hair and stood straight under the steaming hot water. I lifted my face and closed my eyes, letting the water pelt my skin. It felt abnormally comforting.

Charlie wasn't home, like usual, so I didn't bother bringing clothes to the bathroom. I grabbed a towel off the rack next to the shower and wrapped it around my torso. I stood in front of the mirror and wiped away the condensation. I brushed out the knots in my dark hair and washed my face. It was such a nice feeling knowing I had a whole week to do nothing but sit around and do what I pleased.

Downstairs, the phone rang so I hurried to the kitchen, slid along the wooden floors and crashed into the counters.

"Hello?" I answered breathless

"Bells? Are you alright?" My heart suddenly melted at the sound of that voice.

"I am now," I muttered, and then winced at how lame that was. Jacob surprised me by laughing.

"Are you working today, babe?"

"Nope, Mike told me I didn't have to come in. I'm free all day." I stressed the all, trying to solidify the invitation.

"Sweet. I have some errands to run but I'll be by later."

"I'll be waiting," I giggled. He laughed again, but I could tell he was glowing.

"Bella," he seemed to be deliberating something. "I love you."

I had to cover my mouth to keep from squealing. I didn't even have to think about it. "I love you too, Jacob."

"I'll see you later," he said cheerfully.

"See you." I hung up the phone and twirled around my kitchen, humming euphorically. My hair was still damp and was making my shoulders cold. I was only in my towel and fuzzy slippers so I happily hopped up the stairs to change.

My bedroom door was left slightly ajar, so I pushed it open forcefully, not thinking anything of it. I danced over to my bed where my outfit was laying out, still humming mindlessly.

"You're in a good mood."

I spun around hastily to the corner of my room and screamed piercingly. The figure perched on the rocking chair flinched away from the noise, dramatically plugging their ear. "Ow," he laughed.

"What are you _doing_ here?" I demanded, clutching at my towel and gripping it to my body.

Edward's laugh was lighthearted. "I just wanted to stop by and say hi. I was bored. There's not much to do on Spring Break when you can't be bothered with senseless human activities." He waved his hand in the air, emphasizing his words. I openly gaped at him. "Sorry, I didn't know you were in the shower. I can't read your mind, remember?" he winked at me.

"Oh, right." I said acidly. "So you're totally allowed to show up in my bedroom unannounced. No biggy."

His face looked amused. "You were so cheery before, I'm sorry. Does my presence bother you?" I was still raged.

"When I'm standing in my bedroom in a towel!" I shouted, louder than necessary.

"Would you mind not yelling? I have quite sensitive ears, you know." He shot me his signature crooked smile.

My eye twitched irately. "Get out!" He was still rocking methodically in the chair, his left foot resting on his right knee.

"Okay, boss," he smirked, and silently lifted himself off the chair, heading for the door. He shut the door behind him, disappearing into the hall.

I stared at the door for a moment, wondering what just happened. I closed my eyes and snapped my fingers in front of my face, shaking myself out of the hallucination. I had never encountered such a sarcastic Edward in my imagination before; I must have gotten very little sleep last night. Charlie had already threatened to take me to a psychologist for medication; he thought I had insomnia. I put it off as an over-active mind.

I quickly rid my mind of the delusion; I was quite good at suppressing unpleasant things. I dressed in the jeans I had on the bed, and pulled one of Jacob's t-shirts over my head. He had no need for it anymore; now a days he preferred wearing as little clothes as possible. The shirt was huge though, so I rolled the sleeves neatly to my shoulders, making the shirt sleeveless. I took a hair elastic off my vanity and knotted the bottom, fitting it more snuggly to my waist. I didn't have any plans for today except for seeing Jacob later so I aimed for comfort rather than glamour. I rarely aimed for glamour anyway.

After blow drying my hair in the bathroom, I decided to write Renée an email. I hadn't spoken to her in a while, and I felt guilty for not working harder to maintain our communication. She didn't even know I was dating Jacob. I wasn't doing so well on the daughter front these days.

My computer was so slow it was almost painful. I had started saving up money to buy a new one, a communal computer that both Charlie and I could use. I hadn't saved very much though, so I patiently waited for my email to boot.

Finally, my inbox opened. There was an email from my mother.

_Bella,_

_I haven't heard from you in a while, how are you doing? How is school going? I hope college hunting isn't stressing you out too much. You know you don't handle stress very well, sweetie._

I rolled my eyes at the computer screen. To be honest, I hadn't even thought about college. Charlie had been hassling me about it, but I pushed it to the back of my mind. I realized now that I should definitely start searching. I continued reading.

_Phil has been away for a week, his team made play-offs and are playing their first set of tournament games in California. Isn't that exciting? I spoke to Charlie the other day; he told me that Lindsey was coming to stay for a few weeks. Try to be nice to her, Bella, she is family you know. She looks up to you, and she's a sweet girl. _

_Email me back soon! I miss you, hunny. I don't know what's going on in your life; it's making me feel like a bad mom! Write soon. I love you, Mom._

I wrote back, emphasizing fake excitement for Phil and assuring her I would be nice to Lindsey and start college hunting. I told her all about Jacob, and how happy I was with him. I knew I would get a lengthy reply; Renée would chastise me for not telling her sooner.

I shut the computer off, and moseyed down the stairs, deciding whether or not to do laundry or bake. I headed into the kitchen, mentally formulating through different dessert recipes I could make for Jacob. He really liked chocolate, so I settled for baking him a cake.

When I turned the corner into the kitchen, I stopped abruptly, staring at the kitchen table. Someone was sitting by the window, reading what looked like the newspaper.

"Charlie?" I was surprised he would be home, it was only mid-afternoon.

"Guess again," a velvety voice chimed, placing the newspaper on the table. I ran my fingers through my hair at the sound of his voice. I recognized it immediately, before I squinted my eyes and stared at the person.

"I thought I told you to leave, Edward," I barked.

"You told me to leave your bedroom, actually. So I complied. You have no reason to be so irritable. You used to enjoy my company." He used the power of his smoldering eyes and pouted his lip, making me feel instant guilt for being so rude. We were trying to be friends after all.

"You're right," I admitted. I walked over and placed my hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry."

He smiled, obviously pleased with his hypnotic skills. "You're quite forgiven."

I crossed my arms over my chest. "Although, you can't just waltz into my house any time you please. We have a front door, you know. You could knock on it." He rolled his eyes at my sarcasm, but then his face grew repentant.

"I know. I apologize for behaving so rudely. Somehow I thought you might not let me in if I came to the door. That doesn't excuse my actions though, so I am truly sorry." This time I rolled my eyes.

"You're always so dramatic." That made him smile. I walked over to the cupboard to get out a mixing bowl and a spatula. "You're forgiven by the way. Just knock next time." Edward pulled a chair up next to the counter, keeping out of the way.

"So, what are you doing?" he asked conversationally.

"I'm baking a cake for Jacob," I answered, grabbing ingredients from the fridge.

"How kind of you," he said bitterly. I turned to him smirking and raised an eyebrow.

"I could make one for you as well, but I don't think you'll enjoy it as much."

"True." I liked this part of Edward; the friendly, witty guy that I could joke around with. At first I was worried about being friends Edward, but he proved to be well-behaved in the relationship. He hadn't shown anything other than a want for friendship, and that's all I wanted too.

"How's the family?" I asked over my shoulder, stirring cocoa powder and flour in a large mixing bowl.

"Everyone is well, thank you for asking. Esme asks about you. She misses you, you know." It had been a while since I had seen Esme, her beautiful heart shaped face and warm smile. I missed being around her unending kindness.

"I miss her, too. You'll tell her I say hi?"

"Of course. She'll be delighted." I smiled happily.

"What is everyone up to? Alice told me that Emmett and Rosalie were taking a trip to Australia."

"Yes, they are going house hunting," he chuckled.

"House hunting?" I asked worriedly.

"Emmett visited New South Wales a few years ago and met a few friends. Nomads of our kind. They were looking into a summer house, there. Of course Esme was thrilled. She and Alice have already been discussing design themes." His voice was light, amused. I imagined the Cullen's had "summer houses" all over the world.

"That sounds awesome."

"Yep. So, what's new with you? How is young Jacob Black?" I turned to him and put my hands on my hips, showing my agitation at the word 'young.' His face remained a hard mask, but I could see the corners of his lips twitching upward.

"Jacob is great. We're dating you know." I turned back to the bowl, hopeful that that wouldn't hurt him too much. To my relief, he start laughing hysterically, slapping his knee and the whole bit. After a few minutes of nonstop guffawing, I scooped the batter into two circular pans and placed them in the oven. Without a look Edward's way, I marched out of the kitchen, heading for the stairs.

Edward was behind me instantly, although he hadn't made a sound. He grabbed my arm, halting my movements but his touch was gentle.

"I know," he mused, lighthearted. I had never seen him in such high spirits before, especially on the topic of my werewolf boyfriend.

Suddenly, a soft knock sounded on the front door, just feet away from where we were standing. Edward looked at me quizzically but stayed by my side as I went to answer it.

"You don't have to follow me around, you know," I told him jokingly, staring at his hand about to reach for the doorknob.

He realized what he was doing. "Oh, I'm sorry. I guess I'm used to this house being like my second home." My cheeks flushed pink, so I turned my head to hide my face. I didn't want to make the situation any more awkward, so I tried to keep it light.

I laughed slightly, although the sound was shaky. "Be my guest," I waved my arm toward the door and stepped back to lean against the wall.

Edward smiled and turned the doorknob. The wooden door swung open, revealing a soaking wet Jacob standing patiently on the front steps. His smile was bright and huge, until he saw who was standing before him.

I watched from the side, a little dumbfounded, as Jacob's face fell immediately; all traces of happiness disappeared and were replaced with a fiery rage accompanied with a deathly glare.

"What the fuck!" he screamed angrily. He launched himself at Edward, who didn't even seem shaken. He grabbed Jacob's wrists, restraining him before he could touch him. Jacob was strong too, though, and ripped his hands free of Edward's stone cold grasp. He pulled his elbow back and launched his fist forward, right into Edward's jaw.

I shoved off the wall belatedly, and flung myself between Edward and Jacob.

"Stop!" I cried, pushing Jacob away from the door and down the hallway. It wouldn't have done any good but he looked down at my face and stopped fighting, letting me push him.

Edward stood motionless at the door, not looking fazed. Another slew of profanities left Jacob's mouth as I slammed down on his shoulders, sitting him in a kitchen chair.

"Stay here," I said through gritted teeth. Jake was fuming; I could feel the anger and heat emanating off his body.

Edward was leaning against the post at the bottom of the stairs, still looking pretty cheerful.

"I'm sorry," I said like an embarrassed mother who just watched her child misbehave in public.

He laughed. "It's okay. I don't blame him."

"You could have said something you know. I never would have let you open the door."

He scrunched his nose and smiled. "Sorry, that was my bad. I wasn't paying attention."

"It's fine. Not all of us can be perfect," I joked.

"Yeah," he agreed. "Least of all, young temperamental werewolves."

"Alright," I started pushing Edward's side. "Time for the vampire to go home." He chuckled under his breath.

"I'll see you later," he smiled widely and walked out the door, shutting it behind him.

I took a few deep breaths before trekking back into the small kitchen. Jacob's head was down on the table, his damp hair disarrayed. I put my hands on his bare shoulders, rubbing them gently.

"What were you thinking, Jacob?" I asked, trying to keep my voice soft.

His head snapped up and his eyes were still dark. "What was _he_ doing here?"

"He stopped by to say hello. Is that such a crime?"

"He's not allowed here," he said darkly, barely moving his lips. My patience was being stretched thin at that point. I couldn't help it; I exploded at him.

"Get over this stupid prejudice you have for him! It's stupid," I said harshly. "You're acting stupid."

"Stupid?" He stood up, towering over me. "I'm trying to protect you!" he yelled.

"I'm not in danger!" I yelled back. "Edward would never hurt me, and you know that. We both know that's not what this is about."

He shook his head sternly, not meeting my eyes. "I don't trust him."

"Well, _I_ do." His mouth pressed into a hard line and he pushed past me, heading for the door.

"Fine!" I shouted, and he slammed the front door closed without a word.

I loudly trampled back to the kitchen. I pulled the two cake pans out of the oven and placed them on the cooling rack on the stove. The chocolate aroma filled my nose, clearing my head. I instantly felt terrible for yelling at Jacob, he was just trying to keep me safe, even if his worries were irrational. I was sick and tired of the vampire vs. werewolf battle that was constantly raging.

***

I frosted the cake anyway, figuring Charlie could eat it if he wanted. I used butter cream dyed blue; that was Jake's favorite. Charlie wouldn't know the difference.

I finished the cake and made my way into the front room. There was nothing better to do, so I decided to flip through my scarce DVD collection. When I pass the window, I noticed a black shadow outside. Someone was sitting solemnly on the front steps.

Jacob.

I silently opened the door. His slumped over back was facing me, rain dripping down his bare skin.

"Jake, come out of the rain." He turned around slowly, his hair matted down, covering his eyes. They looked red and puffy. I left the door open and walked into the kitchen. I could hear Jacob following silently. I stood in front of the refrigerator, mindlessly looking for something to eat even though I wasn't hungry. Jacob's warm arms slid around my waist, his face resting on my shoulder.

"I'm sorry, Bella," he breathed into the shoulder of my shirt. I turned around in his arms so that he was holding me to his chest.

"I'm sorry, too." I pressed my cheek into the familiar warmth of his chest. His head turned toward the counter.

"You made that for me?" he asked softly, pointing to the cake.

"Yes," I answered. "I love you, you big goon." His squeezed me tighter and rested his upraised cheek against the top of my head.

"I love you more than you know." I wanted to protest, but I stayed quiet. He was probably right.

**A/N: **A nice little chapter for you all. I felt guilty about updating late last time, so I pumped this one out. Hope you all enjoy! :)


	9. Indecisions

**Disclaimer: **Everything related to Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer.

[Thanks to my beta, Taylor!]

**A/N: **Hey guys just a little note before you start reading. This chapter is written in 3rd person instead of from Bella's point of view. It shouldn't change too much but I just wanted to let you guys know. Enjoy :)

Chapter 9: Indecisions

Bella stood stoically at the cafeteria door, leaning against it and sighing dramatically. The parking lot was almost empty, and only a few students were left walking through the quad. Everyone who passed by stared, and Bella would inconspicuously rustle around in her backpack or pretend to be on her phone. She didn't want to look like a creep who waited around campus with no friends.

Finally, Alice padded out the double doors, smiling brilliantly.

"Alice, what took you so long?" Bella whined, shoving off the door frame enthusiastically. She grabbed at Alice's stone cold arm and started towing her toward the parking lot without success. Alice wouldn't budge.

"First of all, stop pulling my arm, you're a weak little human and we have to wait for Edward. And second, I was late because the coach kept us a little longer, which I told you might happen." She said this is all so nonchalantly that I rolled my eyes, but let go of her sleeve.

"I can't believe you're serious about this." Last week, school was chaotic and busy for any of the students at Forks High who were fortunate enough to have a sense of coordination. Everyone rushed to sign up for Spring Sports, including, to Bella's astonishment, Alice.

"I just want to try it," Alice piped in, tucking the textbook she was carrying into her bag. It was the first time Bella had looked at her outfit, and gasped loudly. She stared incredulously, eyes bugged out, at Alice.

"Can I see your _bra_?" Bella asked disbelievingly. Alice was wearing a white tank top and navy spandex shorts, her pink sports bra noticeably peeked out along her neckline. The length of her smooth white legs ended with running shoes. Alice narrowed her eyes until they were thin black slits, and a scowl interrupted her perfect face. "Alice," Bella chided playfully, "that is a fashion faux paus to the extreme."

Alice stuck her dainty tongue out at Bella who chuckled erratically.

"What's so funny?" Bella and Alice swung around to see Edward loping toward them with a smile.

Bella took one look at him and collapsed from laughter. The matter wasn't even that funny; it must be the insanity finally taking over her body. "Have you _seen_ your sister's outfit?" She locked eyes with Edward and then pointed over to Alice. He started laughing too, either at Alice's pouty face or Bella's hysterical one, she couldn't tell.

"Alright," Alice said angrily, "that's enough out of you two." She grabbed both of them by the arm and dragged them away from the gymnasium doors. They walked through the grassy campus, passing the stone wall encompassing the brick buildings and the metal benches stationed around them. Some students were sitting at the benches, studying from various textbooks. They looked up and stared at the discombobulated threesome. It seemed they made a scene no matter where they went.

Alice stuffed Bella and Edward forcefully into the back of the Volvo, taking the driver's seat for herself.

"Ouch, Alice," Bella complained, rubbing her sore arm. "I don't have vampire skin, remember?"

"Goodness, Bella, don't anger _it_ further," he whispered to her, but his tone was still joking.

Alice flipped around in her seat and glared at Bella. "Not yet," she hissed through clenched teeth and sped off out of the student parking lot. The long drive to the Cullens house gave Alice the time to cool off, so she was her normal giddy self by the time she pulled the Volvo into the garage.

"Alice," Bella said, surprised. "I thought you were dropping me off at my house."

"Oh? Did you think that?" she asked, and shuffled through the door that led into the mudroom. Bella looked at Edward with raised eyebrows and he covered his mouth to muffle his laughter. He put his hand on her shoulder and they walked through the door, into the kitchen where Alice was rummaging around the cabinets.

"What are you doing Al?" Edward asked. She slammed the refrigerator door shut, turning with an armful of things.

"I'm going to bake," she answered coolly, like that was the most normal thing in the world. She was holding a variety of items, including a bag of carrots and a box of pasta.

"Clearly," Bella mused, coming over and pulling a bottle of salad dressing out of her hand. "You have no idea what you are doing."

Alice pouted but pushed the food aside. "I know," she admitted, her voice high and squeaky.

"What are you baking anyway?" Edward asked, leaning casually against the marble island in the center of the modern kitchen. A strand of bronze hair fell into his face and he swiped it away with his hand. Alice regarded him with a sarcastic glance, and then her lips turned up in a devious smile. Edward flinched slightly, but then shook his head with a smile. Bella rolled her eyes and sighed loudly; she hated when they communicated with their gifts instead of out loud for her benefit.

Alice must have read Bella's frustration and turned to her with a thoughtful smile. "I want to make cupcakes for the bake sale tomorrow. It's our first tournament of the season; you're both coming, by the way." Ever since Alice had joined the volleyball team, her life had revolved around the sport. Edward found it ridiculous but Bella was envious. If she could play a sport without causing physical harm to herself and everyone around her she would.

"Don't worry, I'll be there," Bella assured.

"I guess I'll be there," Edward griped. Bella slapped him lightly on the arm so he straightened up. "Oh, I'll definitely be there."

Alice looked satisfied. "You can invite Jake too, Bella."

Bella smiled hugely and said, "Awesome. He'd love to come," at the same time Edward huffed and groaned.

"You know, Edward," Alice began, mindlessly toying with the food on the counter. "You might like Jacob if you got to know him." Bella turned to catch Edward's reaction. He scoffed.

"No Downworlder is a friend of mine," he said heedlessly.

Alice got angry. "Oh, for the love of God. No one has used that term in ages." Neither of them noticed that Bella silently left the living room. Alice came up close to Edward and spoke in a low voice, but her expression was so stern that the words seemed to carry a more severe meaning. "This behavior is ridiculous," she nearly spit at him. "Can't you see it bothers her to know how much you two hate each other? Get over it. She chose him." She walked back to the counter before turning back around and staring at him. "For now," she added, and stalked out of the room, following her best friend's example.

***

Alice found Bella in the living room, staring at a shelf of family photographs. "Are you alright? He didn't mean it, you know."

Bella turned around, surprisingly, with a smile. "Oh yeah, I'm okay. I've learned not to mope about it. I do wish they could try to like each other though. Jacob is about the most stubborn person you will ever meet, but I was hoping Edward would be a little more willing. I guess not."

Alice smiled sympathetically. "Edward could probably par with Jacob in the stubborn department."

"Yeah," Bella laughed, "probably." She looked at Alice's blazing gold eyes and changed the subject. "So, are you excited for the big game tomorrow?"

Alice's face lit up like a kid on Christmas morning, the way it always did when she was talking about something she was excited about. She may be a little over jubilant, but she was always full of life; it was refreshing. "I am SO excited," she gushed.

Bella still laughed quietly at the idea of Alice playing for the school's volleyball team. She knew a few girls on the team, Jessica and Lauren had played since freshman year; any excuse to wear tiny shorts in front of boys.

"I was going to run to the supermarket," Bella said, "do you want me to pick up cupcake ingredients?"

"Can I come with you?" Alice asked.

Bella was surprised. She wondered if Alice had ever been to a supermarket before. "Of course. Let's go." Alice smiled happily and grabbed Bella's hand, the two of them hopping into the kitchen to leave through the garage.

"EDWARD!" Alice called loudly, the sound echoing through the entire house. Bella stared at her in a state of shock; for such a little person, Alice could really scream.

Edward ran into the kitchen, his face annoyed. "You don't have to yell! I can hear you from miles away. Hell, I can _read your mind_." Alice stuck her tongue out at him, a comical sisterly act.

"Bella and I are going to the market. Be good."

Edward clucked his tongue. "I think I'll be okay." He turned to Bella with a sarcastic smile. "Have fun with her," he said, dismissively strutting out of the kitchen.

"What a diva," Alice commented under her breath, heading into the metal garage. Bella chuckled as she slid into the passenger seat of the Volvo, which was already running, ready to pull out into the long winding driveway. The pair's chatter was trivial and limited mostly to things taking place at school.

When they walked into the supermarket, Alice's eyes lit in amazed fascination. Bella regarded her with a superficial look of encouragement. She grabbed her wrist and dragged her down the aisles, picking up flour and sugar. Alice looked up and down the shelves, picking one of each thing and placing it in the cart.

"Alice, we're only making cupcakes," Bella stated. "We don't need all that."

"It can't hurt to have food in the house," Alice replied, staring at the cans of frosting. She threw three cans into the carriage, and looked at the basket thoughtfully. She proceeded to skim every aisle in the store, dancing through the halls in the graceful manner that defined her personality. Bella laughed and shook her head as she followed Alice around, pushing the full cart.

"Bella," Alice's tone was exceptionally serious. "Do you like fish?" She was staring at a shelf of seafood lying in a bed of ice.

"Well, it's no mountain lion," Bella retorted, highly sarcastic. Alice narrowed her eyes.

"We'll get some anyway," she decided, asking the guy to wrap a piece of salmon for her.

After throwing in a bag of apples, Alice stalked to the vegetable display, looking hopeful. "Alice," Bella complained, "I think we're done. Look at all the food. And the cart is getting hard to push."

A frustrated pout muddled Alice's angelic features. "Someone's a little bitter," she sang majestically. Bella couldn't help but smile. She pulled up to the cash register and rang up the food, grabbing the grocery bags. Alice was right behind her, dancing out of the store. They drove home to the Cullen house, and spent the afternoon making cupcakes in the kitchen. Bella did all the work, Alice just sat and watched. Occasionally, she would comment on the atrocity of the batter's consistency, but Bella just ignored her. Edward came downstairs and gladly assisted Bella, unfazed by Alice's 'suck-up' jibes.

It was a fun afternoon with Alice and Edward; everyone was in high spirits and enjoying each other's company. When Bella was putting the pan in the oven, Edward sneakily stood behind her with his finger raised, covered in flour. When Bella stood up and turned around, she walked right into his finger, smearing her cheek with the white powder. She rebutted by throwing a glob of left over batter at his face, evoking a dysfunctional food fight.

Alice shied away from the batter throwing, fleeing from the kitchen with a pan held over her head, protecting her perfect hair no doubt. Edward started at the door where Alice had just left and laughed loudly, so Bella snuck up from beside him with a finger covered in frosting and drew and X across his open mouth. He turned his head to stare at her with evil eyes, and then chased her around the kitchen, Bella's giggly screams sounding through the whole house.

After cleaning up the disrupted kitchen, the Bella and Edward went to the front room to do homework, it was hard to concentrate though. Blades of sunlight streamed in through the glass walls, sending rainbow sparkles dancing across the room when the light hit Edward's snow white skin.

Eventually, Bella fell asleep on the cream couch, her English book resting across her chest. Making cupcakes had really worn her out. Edward carefully lifted her off the couch without bobbling her, and drove her home, driving extra carefully in an attempt to not wake her.

Charlie was less than thrilled when Edward showed up at his doorstep, his teenage daughter dangling unconscious from Edward's arms. When Edward explained she had simply fallen asleep after baking with Alice, he allowed Edward to carry her upstairs with good grace. He laid her down in her bed gently, pulling the covers up around her. He slipped out the door after brushing the wood with his fingers, making sure to be extra quiet.

When the door closed with a click, Bella stirred in her sleep, opening her eyes and stretching her stiff legs. For a moment she didn't know where she was, until she looked around and she was in the comfort of her bedroom. She was still in jeans and her sneakers were still laced onto her feet; she slipped them off and got up to change into pajamas. On the way to the bathroom, something stopped her in her tracks; hanging from her door was a taped piece of paper, a note written in a familiar elegant script.

***

Bella picked Jacob up after school on her way to the game. He was wearing a black tank top and khaki cargo shorts, looking ridiculously attractive. Bella felt so inferior, wearing jeans and a plain white short sleeved tee. Jacob noticed her slightly pained expression and looked alarmed immediately.

"What's wrong?" he asked nervously, looking around.

"Nothing," she replied looking down. "I just feel so plain next to you." She blushed, feeling shallow for even thinking it.

Jacob looked amused for a moment but then his face turned serious. "Silly Bella, it doesn't matter what you wear." He raised his hand to move a loose strand of hair behind my ear. "You always look good to me." They drove the rest of the way to the high school, Bella wearing her signature blush and Jacob his gleaming smile. They walked into the gymnasium, hands intertwined, where the volleyball net was set up and the two teams were warming up. Alice's face lit up when she saw them walk in, and then both waved to her. She waved back enthusiastically and blew them a kiss. Jacob laughed and climbed the bleachers, towing a smiling Bella up with him.

Edward was sitting toward the left up at the very top; he was leaning against the cement wall. He straightened up when he saw Bella and smiled, about to wave her over, but Jacob turned and growled under his breath. Bella saw Edward's eye turn perceptibly blacker, and turned to ask Jacob about it.

"Jake," she hissed when she saw his face, "don't look at him like that!" She pulled him toward the right side of the bleachers, shooting Edward an apologetic glance. When they sat down, hands still interlocked, Bella gazed down at their fingers. The contrast between her skinny pale fingers and his strong tan ones was laughable. The tension lingering in the air slowly dissipated as the tournament began.

Alice was extraordinarily graceful on the court, and not surprisingly, superb at volleyball. She was playing up front, and spiked the ball over the net at least a dozen times, but tried not to attract too much attention to herself. She had a conniving way of getting the ball to every member of her team.

"Damn, Alice is awesome," Jacob said, playing with Bella's fingers.

She giggled. "I know. It's ridiculous."

"Well you know what they say."

"That immortality brings you perfection?" Bella chimed in.

"Actually I was going to say that being a vampire makes you sick at sports."

Bella cracked up, her eyes tearing with thick guffaws. "Jacob, who says that?"

He smiled widely. "I do." He leaned in and kissed her softly on the mouth, his lips just brushing against hers. Bella could feel the smile on his lips as he kissed her again.

A loud buzzer tore through the gym declaring the start of half time.

"I'm gonna go to the bathroom," Bella said, kissing Jacob on the cheek and lifting herself off the bleachers. She hopped down the steps and waved to Alice who was on the bench pretending to drink water. All the other team members looked tired and sweaty, but she was still perfect and exuberant. The look on Alice's face must have meant she'd seen the final minutes of the game. They must win, Bella thought and turned the corner to head to the bathrooms. She caught a glimpse of Jacob sitting peacefully, talking politely to his neighbor. She smiled and shuffled into the hall.

As soon as Bella turned the corner, Jacob snapped his head in Edward's direction. _I want to talk to you, _he thought, and saw Edward roll his eyes but shifted over in his seat.

Jacob didn't beat around the bush when he stalked over to Edward. He didn't even bother sitting down.

"Stay away from Bella," he warned angrily.

Edward looked slightly amused from Jacob's abruptness. "We're just friends Jacob. I think it's good for her. What harm could possibly come from that?" he answered coolly.

"Everything," Jacob snapped. "Everything could come from that."

"I disagree," Edward replied. Jacob was still shaking his head in irritation and turned away to leave, but then stopped and loped back over to Edward's seat.

"I hope it hurts, bloodsucker," he hissed, his face only inches from Edward's. "I hope it _kills_ you to see her with me." His glaring face turned soft for a moment as he turned his back and started walking across the bleachers. "The way it killed me to see her with you," he mumbled through tight lips, too soft for anyone around him to hear, but Edward could. And Edward could see memories of Bella flashing in Jacob's mind; the look on her face the first time she visited him in La Push, the way she wrapped her arms around her torso, the pained expression in the woods when he had mentioned the Cullens. Edward cringed back against the wall, eyes grave and face expressionless. People looked on, curious as to what imaginary force was causing him so much pain. The answer was walking briskly down the blue bleachers, his tan hands forcefully clutching a black leather jacket. The words in his head echoed through Edward's, with the image of Bella's face, unsmiling and broken. _You've hurt her enough already._

When Bella came back into the gym, she looked first to Edward and then Jacob. Edward looked like he was on the verge of dry tears, and Jacob was in his tern Sam-face mode. "Oh God, what happened," she muttered uncomfortably to herself. As she was about to climb the bleachers, her head flickered to both boys, and for a moment she was conflicted. She knew she should go back to Jacob, but something in Edward's expression made her want to go comfort him. She quickly rid that thought from her mind, knowing it was not where her thoughts should be. Instead of heading back to Jacob, Bella ducked out of the gym doors---her mind running---clutching a tattered note in her hands.

**A/N: **Thank you to all my readers, you guys are amazingggg! And extra thanks to my beta who had to work hard to fix this chapter, haha. Reviews are appreciated, and I hope you guys enjoyed it :)


	10. Trouble

**Disclaimer: **Everything related to Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer.

[Thanks always to Taylor!]

Chapter 10: Trouble

Bella was sitting on the edge of her bed, staring into the abyss that was her closet. She sighed loudly, again, and closed her eyes, hoping the perfect outfit would magically appear behind her eyelids. When her chocolate eyes fluttered open to the exact same closet, she thumped back on her bed with an annoyed cry.

"Bella!" Charlie pounded on the door angrily for the third time in the last ten minutes. "Jacob called. Again!" he yelled through the mahogany.

"Too bad, I'm not ready!" she shouted back, the same response she had two minutes prior. Jacob was taking Bella on a mystery date and she had no idea what to wear, as per usual. Alice was away on a hunting trip so Bella had to fend for herself, something she had no desire of doing, even if it was for Jacob.

"Isabella Marie," Charlie called warningly, "if you don't come down and answer the damn phone, Jacob is going to show up on our door step covered in tears."

"Fine!" She yelled back, shoving away from her sheets and trudging toward the door. She threw it open and narrowed her eyes at her father, giving him an evil stare. He rolled her eyes as she stormed passed, muttering something like 'teenagers' under his breath.

Downstairs, the phone was ringing off the hook, buzzing in place on the coffee table in the small living room.

"What?" Bella grumbled into the phone, while Charlie shot her a disparaging look.

"Bells?" Jacob's smooth voice echoed through the phone.

"Yeah," Bella stated, trying to make her voice perk up.

Bella could tell Jacob was smiling on the other line. "Hello beautiful," he said into the phone. At once, Bella's irritation dissolved like it always did when she heard Jacob's voice. Her stiffened features melted just like her heart.

"Hi," she said more serene.

"What time should I come by tonight?"

Bella looked down at her baggy sweats and knotted hair and frowned. "I don't know Jake, I'm not even close to being ready. I have nothing to wear."

"That's absolutely fine," Jacob said, "don't wear anything, then."

"Jacob!" Bella reprimanded, turning red in embarrassment. He chuckled on the other end.

"Just call me when you're ready, okay?"

"Okay."

"Bye love," he said, still laughing confidently.

Bella hung up the phone, squinting her eyes as she narrowed in on the white phone cord; she hadn't noticed that her finger was twirled through it like a little girl on the phone with her first crush. It made the soft rosy color of her cheeks brighten exponentially.

"Was that Jake?" Charlie asked, climbing down the hallway stairs.

Bella tried to compose her features before turning toward her father. "Yep."

"Where is he taking you tonight?"

"I have no idea," Bella answered honestly. "It's our one month anniversary." Charlie raised his eyebrows.

"Are you two, um, celebrating that?" Charlie stumbled over his words uncomfortably. Bella saw his reddened face and couldn't help but feel bewildered.

"What do you mean?" Had he not been listening? She just told him Jake was taking her out somewhere special.

"I mean," Charlie began again, speaking his words slowly, as if calculating Bella's reaction before he said them. He steadied himself by gripping the stair banister, and looked right at her. "I mean, Bella, are you two being _careful_?"

"Dad!" Bella whined, her eyes jutting out in mortification. Blood pooled in her cheeks to match the pinkish gleam on Charlie's. The blushing was hereditary. Suddenly, Bella remembered Jacob on the phone moments ago telling her not to wear any clothes on their date. She wondered if Charlie had been listening, and then her blush became even more pronounced.

"I just want you to be safe, Bells, and well Jacob is a guy. You're a beautiful girl and he probably has temptations…"

"Dad!" Bella yelled again, cutting him off before he could continue. "Please stop." The words came out muffled from her embarrassment, and she had to turn away. This was the last conversation she wanted to have with Charlie. "You don't have to worry about me, okay?"

"Okay," he answered, walking down the narrow hallway that led to the kitchen. Bella closed her eyes, ridding her mind of the past five minutes' events, and then went upstairs. When her bedroom sat untouched, Bella threw on a pair of jeans and a black beater without thinking. She grabbed her car keys off the dresser, along with something thin and worn, stuffing it in her pocket. Rushing down the stairs in a hurry, Bella darted through the door with a quick shout to Charlie letting him know where she was going. In her haste, Bella smashed into the front door, her belt loop catching on the hook in the door. Her movements were so hurried that she didn't even notice the white paper twirling to the floor.

***

A soft knocking on the front door surprised Rosalie enough to send her gliding down the front stairs. She opened the door to a nervous and ragged looking Bella.

"Bella?" she gasped, unsure of what she was seeing.

"Hi, Rosalie," she stuttered, suddenly regretful of her hasty decision to come here.

"Not to be rude, but what are you doing here?" Bella was twitching in such discomfort that Rosalie felt bad about how intimidating she must be.

"Er, well," Bella started, "Alice isn't here and I was wondering if maybe you could help me." She looked up hopefully to watch confusion and then amusement dance across Rosalie's face. Bella sighed in relief that she didn't see anger or some indication that she wanted Bella dead. She was probably hiding it.

"Help you? With what?" Rosalie's expression was purely befuddled.

"I need an outfit to wear on my date tonight." Bella closed her eyes slightly and cocked her head to brace Rosalie's reaction. She raised her perfectly shaped eyebrow and then laughed without humor.

"Well, I'm busy right now, but I can let you into Alice's room. You can take anything you want." She opened the door and stepped aside so Bella could walk out of the rain and into the crisp open space of the Cullen's front room.

"Thanks," Bella said gratefully. She followed Rosalie up the winding stairs and down the furnished hall, turning right into Alice and Jasper's room. It was right across from Carlisle's study, but he was not sitting at the desk like she expected. He must be hunting with Alice. The only Cullen that seemed to be home was Rosalie. Bella didn't mind.

Rosalie pushed the door open and ushered Bella inside, pointing toward two large ornate double doors across from a king sized bed dressed with a white silk comforter Bella padded over to the wooden doors and took a deep, preparatory breath. Before she reached out for the golden handle, she turned toward the doorway. Rosalie had disappeared.

"Rude," Bella muttered under her breath and then opened the closet doors. Before her sat a room as big as the bedroom; a bar ran the entire length of the room with clothes hanging on every wall. The western wall had a long mahogany dresser with eight drawers; the biggest Bella had ever seen. On the eastern wall, resting under the hanging clothes was a wire rack with endless pairs of shoes. Bella was instantly overwhelmed looking at all the clothes, and then laughed when she realized they were all Alice's. Jasper's clothes were nowhere in sight.

Bella walked over to one wall and started dancing her fingers along the rows of outfits, examining each piece of clothing in admiration. Alice had always told her she was welcome to any of her clothes, but Bella still felt guilty being in there without her permission.

On the top floor, without Bella's knowledge, Edward was in his bedroom listening to music on his laptop. He perked his head when he heard footsteps in the hall and then a voice was talking in his head, an underlying tone of anger woven through it.

_I'm coming in._ His bedroom door flew open, slamming the adjacent wall, and the beautiful blonde stepped over the threshold.

"Sure Rose, come on in," Edward said sarcastically, slightly annoyed at his statuesque sister. He leaned back in his computer chair, crossing his arms behind his head.

"Alice is home," she stated simply.

Edward looked at her quizzically. "I didn't hear them come in."

Rosalie shrugged her shoulders indifferently. "Maybe you're not as special as you think." Edward growled at her, a low throaty and guttural sound. Rosalie's lips twitched into a striking smile, accompanying her slyly arched eyebrow. She walked out of the room then, her wedges clapping against the hardwood floors.

Edward lifted himself from his chair and made his way into the hall, heading toward Alice's bedroom. He didn't bother moving any faster than human speed.

When he arrived at the stairwell to the second floor, Edward perked his ears, listening for Alice, but couldn't hear anything. He trotted to her bedroom door and tapped lightly.

"Alice?" he whispered through the door. He waited ten seconds before opening the door slowly.

"Rosalie, I'm not making a mess, I promise," a familiar soft voice called from the inside of the closet. She poked her head out looking repentant, and then her eyes widened to match Edward's.

"Bella?"

"Edward. Hi." She stepped out of the closet wearing one of Alice's skirts, and only a white camisole. She looked down, seeming to remember her lack of shirt, and stepped back into the closet looking embarrassed. Edward chuckled and walked over to stand right in front of the open closet.

"It's just me, its okay," he murmured, reaching out his hand and beckoning her to come out of the closet. She complied, looking wary, and Edward laughed again. He sat down on the plush bed and Bella followed, but sat as far away from him as possible.

"What are you doing here?" Bella asked quietly.

"I live here," Edward smiled.

Bella blushed. "Oh, I know, I meant I just thought Rosalie was the only one home."

"What are _you_ doing here?" Edward questioned back.

"Oh, um," Bella looked into his golden eyes and her cheeks reddened instinctively. Edward lifted his hand and rubbed the pink with the back of his forefinger. Bella stiffened under his touch, so Edward dropped his hand. Bella quickly spoke in hopes of dislodging the awkwardness that was sure to accompany the rejection.

"I needed an outfit, so I was looking in Alice's closet."

Edward stared at her, and when he realized she was serious, began laughing hysterically. "Ah yes, I forgot. Bella Swan, connoisseur of fashion." She stuck her tongue out at him.

"It's for my date tonight." She stated at an attempt to get back at his sarcasm, but instantly regretted it when his face looked crushed.

"Oh." He looked at her neck. "Is that from him?"

Bella didn't need to look down. Her hand rose to curl around the heart-shaped sand dollar hanging from a woven leather cord. "Yes." He nodded solemnly.

"What do you see in him?"

Bella looked straight into his eyes. "Hope. Happiness." Her eyes turned sad. "Healing," she whispered.

Edward's face fell and his eyes were contrite. "Bella…"

"Don't," she said. She got up off the bed, remembering she still needed an outfit for tonight. She walked back into the closet, but her mind was not on the clothes in front of her.

Bella didn't hear Edward sneak in behind her until he whispered in her ear. "I'm sorry, Bella."

She turned around. "I know." She smiled for him, trying to lighten the atmosphere which had become extremely somber. His expression turned hopeful for a moment, and he started leaning in toward her.

Bella quickly dodged away. "I'm sorry, too. I love Jacob now."

"Do you?"

Edward noticed her hesitation, even if it was only momentary. "Yes."

"Do you want help picking out an outfit?" Edward asked, his voice surprisingly light. Bella looked at him, confused. He was either really good at hiding his emotions, or pathetically apathetic.

"Seriously?"

Edward smiled his crooked smile. "I've lived with Alice for 30 some years. I know a thing or two about style, and I also know that you don't," he laughed.

Bella laughed too, knowing that she should be offended, but she wasn't. "Okay," she offered, waving her hand in front of all that clothes. "Where do we begin?"

Edward tapped his chin. "Where's he taking you?" he asked honestly, not grudgingly.

"I don't know. It's a surprise."

"Hmmm." He looked at the clothes and then at Bella. "Okay, I actually have no idea what you should wear. Good luck, Swan." He was chuckling as he stalked casually out of the closet, his hands in his pockets.

"Rude!" Bella called loudly, and she heard his velvety laugh from the hallway. She turned back to the clothes, trying to channel her inner Alice.

***

Jacob pulled into the Swan's driveway right behind Charlie's cruiser, dressed up in jeans and a black polo. His hair was combed and gelled back, and he smelled deeply of cologne.

He hopped out of his rabbit and strided to the front door, excited to surprise Bella. He rang the door bell, and Charlie answered, looking happy to see him.

"Jake, kiddo, how are you doing?"

"I'm good, Charlie. How are you?"

"I'm okay," he smiled. "Come on in."

Jacob stepped into in to the foyer grinning. "Is Bella ready?" he asked.

Charlie frowned. "Um, actually Jake, she's not here."

Jacob frowned too. "Where is she?"

"I'm not really sure," Charlie answered. "She left the house muttering something about getting an outfit to wear tonight. She'll probably be back shortly."

Jacob resumed smiling. "Oh, okay," he laughed. He remembered Bella's distress on the phone earlier. He wished he could tell her that it didn't matter to him what she wore, as long as she was with him he would be happy.

The phone rang loudly from the kitchen. "Oh, let me grab that. Excuse me for a moment," Charlie muffled, hurrying into the kitchen. That was when Jacob looked down to the floor, and noticed a piece of paper sticking out from under the lip of the door. He bent over and picked it up, unfolding the dog-eared note.

To my one and only singer-

Bella, you mean everything to me. You _are_ the world to me.

And that will never change. Sweet dreams.

Always,

Edward

Jacob didn't even finish the note before he was out the door, slamming it behind him. He jumped forcefully into the rabbit and sped all the way to the infamous long driveway of Edward Cullen.

He pulled up to the front of the house, and leaving the car idling, he bounded up the steps and pounded on the front door with two fists.

Edward opened the door with a friendly smile, which turned into a grimace as he took in his guest. Jacob pushed passed him, walking inside.

"Sure Jacob, come in," Edward muttered.

Jacob turned around and glared at him. "What is this?" Jacob growled, thrusting the note into Edward's face. The jerky movement caused something to fly out of Jacob's jeans pocket, thumping to the floor. Edward bent down to retrieve the small blue box.

"What are these?" he hissed back, his eyes popping out in rage. Jacob's face turned beet red as Edward stared down at the box of condoms resting in his snowy palm. "Why do you have these?" he demanded harshly. Jacob looked down, his face flushed, and he was mortified for a moment before he quickly masked his expression with anger. Jacob turned back to the note, looking down at it with black eyes. _If looks could kill_, Edward thought. Jacob's eyes were daggers, and Edward could tell he was using all the strength he could muster to keep from phasing.

"That's none of your business!" Jacob blurted out, composing himself. Edward was about to say something but Jacob cut him off. "Don't change the subject! Why the _hell_ does Bella have this note?"

"Jacob, Bella loves you. I know that. She and I are just friends." Edward's voice was sincere, and he smiled in encouragement. Jacob shook his head, and threw a punch gunning Edward's jaw. But Edward's reflexes were too quick, and he caught Jacob's fist before it hit his face. "Calm down, dog." Jacob ripped his hand from Edward's grip and let his arms fall to his sides. He tried to control his breathing.

"She'll never go back to you," he said. Vitriol seasoned each word.

At that moment, Edward's head snapped up, and Jacob turned to see what he was staring at. Bella was in the doorway of the kitchen, staring at the two boys.

"Bella," the two said at the same time. Jacob's was a confused question, where as Edward's was defeated acknowledgement. She stared at the two of them, standing feet apart. The look on both of their faces clearly showed anger, like they had just been fighting. Her eyes widened as she narrowed in on their hands; Jacob was clutching her note from Edward, and Edward was holding a box of condoms.

Two pairs of worried eyes, so different in color but so similar in emotion, focused on Bella's exasperated ones before they closed and her body hit the floor.

**A/N:** Craaaaaazy stuff! How long will Bella be able to resist Edward? You'll have to wait and see :) Jacob and Edward are ready to dual. Haha. I'm sorry this update is so late, I was on vacation and I wasn't able to write! I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter!


	11. The Devil In Disguise

**Disclaimer**: Everything related to Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer.

[As always, thanks to Taylor!]

A little shout-out: I just want to thank Chain Gang Princess for all her lovely support on this fanfic; I look forward to your incredible reviews each week! So thanks to her and of course everyone else who read so dedicatedly. You guys mean as much to me as Bella does to Edward! 

Chapter 11: The Devil In Disguise

"Bells? Can you hear me?" Bella could feel Jacob's warm breath on her face, but she couldn't open her eyes. It felt like her head was full of lead, holding her unconsciously to the floor and discouraging her escape.

"Why isn't she waking up?" Jacob turned nervously to Edward who was starting to hover in agonizing paranoia.

"Maybe she's dead," Rosalie suggested smugly from the couch. Edward turned to glare daggers at her. She rolled her eyes and stood up from the couch, gracefully ghosting into the kitchen.

Edward crouched down, leaning over Bella's unmoving face. "Bella, please open your eyes," he pleaded shamelessly. Jacob watched with narrowed eyes as Edward reached over to rub Bella's cheek softly. Jacob punched his arm out--never taking his eyes off Bella---taking Edward by surprise. Edward's body flew across the room, crashing against the closest wall.

"Don't touch my girlfriend, parasite," he growled.

"Maybe she'll wake up for _me_," Edward hissed back.

Jacob scoffed. "You wish!"

Rosalie clomped back into the living room, having heard Edward and Jacob's bickering, muttering something along the lines of 'idiots.' She stood right over Bella, and right as Edward's eyes widened in acknowledgement, she hastily dumped a pitcher of ice water over Bella's head.

"Rosalie!" Edward screamed in outrage, jumping to his feet and lunging toward the beautiful vampire. She suppressed snickers as she dodged out of the way. Edward shot her a deathly menacing look. "Getting her soaking wet isn't going to help anything!"

She shrugged her shoulders. "I saw it on television once."

"Now she's just going to get sick!" he fired back, his shoulders rigid in anger. Jacob didn't even acknowledge Rosalie; he wasn't going to give her that satisfaction. He immediately pulled his shirt over his head and started wrapping Bella's torso with it. He couldn't help but notice that she was only wearing a white camisole; he didn't want Edward to see _that_ getting wet.

He knelt down slowly, resting his face just inches above Bella's. She was still unconscious, despite the ice bath. "Love, where are you?" he asked in a begging tone, resting his forehead against hers. The heat seeped through her skin, traveling down her arms and legs. Bella's head was spinning; colors were blurring behind her eyelids, but they felt too heavy. She could suddenly make out concerned voices; more than one, both excruciatingly familiar. But only one voice gave her the strength to break the surface of unconsciousness.

Her heart beat only for Jacob.

Jacob felt a faint tug on his skin, the soft grating of fingernails against his arm. He opened his eyes immediately, lifting his head away from Bella's. His breathing stopped as he watched her face, waiting. Her pale eyelids fluttered, and then the comforting chocolate brown of her eyes bore into his.

"Jake?" she croaked.

"Yes, I'm here," he murmured, choking on the lump in this throat, while smoothing the hair back from her damp forehead. He leaned in to kiss it as salty tears fell from his face.

Bella tried to sit up but Jacob was squeezing her to the floor. "Jake, I'm fine," she assured in a hushed tone, attempting to wiggle free from his grip. His arms were around her slightly elevated neck and his head was hovering over hers, his tan eyelids closed. She tilted her head to the side, still a little dizzy, and looked at Edward standing behind Jacob.

"Are you okay?" he mouthed. She sneaked her arm out from under Jacob's body and gave him a thumbs-up.

"Jacob." Bella struggled to push him away so she could stand up. He finally opened his eyes and cupped her face with his palm, slowly clambering to his knees and then lifting himself to a standing position. He pulled her up softly, keeping his hand on her clammy cheek. Jacob turned to Edward, relief washing over his features, and smiled. Then he turned back to stare seriously at Bella.

"Are you alright, baby?"

"Gag," Edward muttered under his breath, trying to disguise the word as a cough. Bella shot him a reproachful look while Jacob turned around and glared.

"Let's get you home," Jacob murmured, taking Bella's hand. They headed toward the door, and Bella paused before stepping outside.

"I'm sorry," she mouthed to Edward secretly, before crossing over the threshold. She didn't catch Edward's reaction, because she turned to face Jacob to say the same thing.

They were walking down the Cullen's front steps, where Jacob's car was sitting. "Don't be sorry," Jacob assured, kissing her on the cheek.

"No," Bella shook her head, feeling extremely guilty. "I'm sorry I kept the note." She looked straight into his dark eyes and was surprised that no anger was there.

"It's okay. I don't care," he said with a smile, fighting back the angry screams sounding in his head. "Come on." They both got into the car and started driving home. The atmosphere in the car was surprisingly light.

"Can I come over?" Jacob asked as he pulled into Bella's driveway.

She grinned at him. "Of course."

They walked hand in hand to the door, but when they were at the front steps Bella froze. "Oh my god," she muttered, listening to the voices inside.

Jacob looked confused. "What?"

Bella opened the door and pulled Jacob in quickly, immediately running up the stairs and locking her bedroom door behind her.

"Not that I'm complaining, but why did we just hastily retreat to your bedroom?" Jacob inquired quizzically. Bella ran her fingers through her hair in frustration.

"Because I don't want to be downstairs," she said matter-of-factly. Jacob quirked his eyebrows but let it slide. He sat down on the edge of the bed, patting the spot next to him with a smile.

"Come here, you," he murmured seductively. She padded over to the bed, obediently sitting down next to him and leaning her head on his shoulder. He turned his head and kissed her on the mouth, a swift loving kiss, not enough for Bella's taste. She sat up so that she could wind her arms around his neck, and found his lips again. Jacob had one hand on her face, carefully caressing her cheek, while the other was on the small of her back, pulling her closer. Bella sighed in contentment, parting her lips and breathing in Jacob's warmth.

The two found themselves moving backward up the bed, Jacob pushing Bella gently onto her pillow. His lips left her for a moment, allowing them both a relieving breath, until they returned, only this time right below her ear. He planted a trail of kisses along her neck as she softly pulled at the tufts of black hair on his head. His eager lips returned to her mouth, easing it open and sucking on her bottom lip.

He pulled away after a short second.

"What's wrong?" Bella stuttered confusedly. Jacob reached into the front pocket of his jeans and pulled out the box, shimmying out a condom.

"Do you want to?" His chest was rising rapidly, still catching his breath, and his eyes were penetrating, deeply focused on Bella's. She looked quickly at the condom and then back at his face, and answered almost immediately.

"Yes."

She saw a wide grin stretch across his face before he started kissing her again, much more passionately this time, but the movements of his mouth on hers were undoubtedly saturated with love.

At that moment, the door swung open forcefully, crashing into the adjacent wall. A moderately tall, skinny blond appeared in the doorway, wearing tight skinny jeans and a pink laced tank top.

"Bella! I thought I heard you up here." Finally, she regarded Bella and Jacob on the bed and smiled devilishly. "Ohh, Bell, he's cute," she said, winking at Jacob.

Jacob stared at her, watching her repeatedly bat her eyelashes. "Who the hell are you?"

"Jake, this is Lindsey," Bella sighed. "My cousin."

"Hellooooo, Jake," Lindsey swooned, coming over to the bed and holding out her hand. He was still lying on top of Bella and they were both staring at her with matching expressions of exasperation.

"Wait," Jacob said. "So you barge into Bella's room, find me on top of her, and so you decide to hit on me?" He turned back to Bella. "Is she for real?"

Bella rolled her eyes but pushed Jacob away so that she could sit up on the bed. "Unfortunately."

Lindsey huffed back out of the room, unsatisfied with Jacob's lack of interest.

"Uncle Charlie!" Bella and Jacob heard along with the pounding of feet on the stairs. "Bella and her boyfriend are being rude to me!"

Bella looked nervously to Jake and jumped up off the bed.

"Her boyfriend?" Charlie's voice was getting closer and closer to the stairs. "Jake is here?" The tone of his voice made Bella start twitching uncomfortably. She couldn't help herself from looking around, trying to find spots where she could hide Jacob. Shockingly, Jacob was just as ill at ease. He stood up from the bed, not wanting to be caught laying there.

"Bells?" Charlie poked his head into the room with a questioning expression. His eyes raked the room, noticing Jacob's large body hovering at the foot of the bed. His eyes seemed to linger an extra second on his ruffled hair.

"Bella," he turned to look sternly at his daughter. "Jacob isn't allowed in your room anymore, got it?"

"But Dad!" Bella shrieked, her eyebrows rising in surprise. She hadn't expected Charlie to say something like _that_.

"It's okay, Charlie," Jacob interrupted. "I understand completely." As he said this, Bella caught a peek of him silently slapping the condom off the bed, so that it fell to the floor on the opposite side of us. I frowned in disappointment.

Jacob turned to Bella. "I guess I'll go." He leaned over and kissed her impossibly fast, and then sauntered out of the room. Bella shifted to glare at the doorway, where Lindsey had come to stand beside Charlie.

"Why did you do that?" she demanded in a harsh tone.

"Now now," Charlie interceded. "I don't want all this bickering. You two have to learn to get along. And Bella, it's not Lindsey's fault. Now that Jacob's your boyfriend I don't feel comfortable that he's in your room with the door closed. Especially if I'm not home. Got it?" He gave a meaningful look first to Bella and then to Lindsey.

"Got it," they both mumbled in unison. Charlie stalked out of the room, leaving Bella and Lindsey with the tense and quiet atmosphere. Bella was silently fuming, but Lindsey strutted into Bella's bedroom and sat on the bed with a smile.

"So, how have you been?" she asked a bit condescendingly.

Bella stared at her through slitted eyes.

"Well, _I've_ been good," Lindsey said.

"Well," Bella said sardonically. "I'm glad." She went to retrieve her cell phone. "If you don't mind, I have to go call my boyfriend."

"He's a cutie," Lindsey nodded. "Nice taste."

"Thanks," Bella muttered acidly. She flipped her blonde curls dramatically.

"If only _I_ could find a man," she bided with a loud dramatic sigh.

Bella rolled her eyes. "Get out of my room." She demanded petulantly, rudely. Lindsey left without a word, closing the bedroom door behind her. Bella slumped down on her bed, rolling over and stuffing her face into her pillow. She had no idea how she was going to put up with Lindsey for the next two weeks. She would just have to endure it.

**A/N: **Sorry guys, short chapter this week. I'll try to post again as soon as possible. I hope you guys enjoyed!


	12. Heartache

**Disclaimer**: Everything related to Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer.

[Thanks, Taylor!]

Chapter 12: Heartache

Throughout the week, Bella tried her hardest to avoid Lindsey. But living under the same roof made it difficult; they invariably crossed paths. When Friday morning came, and Bella dreadfully made her way to the bathroom, the door was locked and the sounds of the shower drifted. That set Bella off immediately.

"Lindsey!" She threw her bag of toiletries to the floor so that she could pound on the door with both fists. "Get out of the bathroom!" Her voice was so acerbic that Charlie frantically dashed up the stairs. At the sight of him, Bella shrieked, a blood curdling cry.

"Get her _out_!" Each word fell sharply from her tight lips. Charlie had never seen her throw so many fits as she did in the past week. He didn't understand how she could detest her own cousin so irately.

"Bella," Charlie reasoned. "Calm down."

"No, Dad. I will not calm down. I need to get in the bathroom so that I can get ready for school. I'm already in a bad mood and the last thing I need is _her_," she spat the word, "getting in the way."

Charlie's brow puckered for a moment before his eyes lit up.

"Why don't you take Lindsey to school with you today?"

Bella's face tensed in protest. "No, thanks."

"Come on, Bells. She's family, and you're not acting like it. I'm tired of your attitude."

"Dad, she hates me too."

Charlie was getting impatient now. "You don't _hate_ each other. Can you at least try to get along?"

Bella raised her eyebrows. "Can Jacob be allowed in my room?"

Charlie shot her a reproachful look. "Nice try." Bella's face fell instantly.

"I'm not taking her to school."

Charlie deliberated for a moment before glancing at his watch, noting the time. He was late for work and didn't have the patience to deal with all the teenage estrogen.

"Fine!" he grumbled. "Jacob can be in your room but only when I'm home. And you're taking Lindsey to school." With a stern expression, Charlie descended the stairs and clomped out the door with his boots barely on his feet.

Bella half smiled and groaned at the same time, but pounded on the bathroom door.

"What?" Lindsey hissed, emerging through a wall of steam wrapped in a white towel, long cascades of wet hair falling around her face.

"Get dressed, you're coming to school with me," she said grudgingly, before pushing past Lindsey into the bathroom and shutting the door.

She showered slowly, letting the warm water untangle the tense knots in her back. She was peaceful under the spray, until the warm water ran out, being replaced with freezing cold. Lindsey had used up all the hot water, and Bella's quota of patience for the day.

She trumped unhappily out of the bathroom toward her room, where she heedlessly threw on clothes without looking at them. She tied her hair up into a ponytail and grabbed her school things. The whole process took all of five minutes.

When she got down to the door and stuffed her feet into her boots, she yelled up the stairs for Lindsey to hurry up. She draped her rain jacket over her arm and snatched her keys off the hook, throwing a fleeting look toward the empty stairs.

She sighed loudly and started toward the staircase. "Lindsey," she grumbled.

"I'm ready," Lindsey announced, appearing at the top step. She took one look at Bella's agitated face and mumbled to herself, "sheesh." Bella rolled her eyes at Lindsey's outfit; a strappy green mini dress with black ballet flats.

"Do you know where we are?" she asked acidly. "It's going to rain. And be cold. And wash all that stupid mascara away," she added under her breath. Lindsey ignored her jibes and the two of them locked up the house and got into Bella's Chevy.

"This truck is gross," Lindsey stated, trying to get into the truck without touching anything. She turned to Bella's apathetic expression. "And it's manly."

Bella turned with her mouth open, eyes slitted, but didn't respond. She just put the car in drive and pulled out of the driveway, already dreading the day ahead of her.

***

At the Cullen house, Edward and Alice were in the living room getting ready to leave for school. Edward was standing near the long couch, looking down on the floor where Bella had passed out a week ago. Alice turned and looked at his pained expression and sighed.

She walked over to stand right in front of him.

"Edward, are you blind?" She grabbed his chin and turned his face, forcing him to look at her. She pointed to her forehead. "Look." He did. He watched the foggy future flash before his eyes. Most events were outlined in black, still undecided. The last image was crystal clear, set in stone.

Edward closed his eyes, wishing he could believe her, and knowing that secretly he did. If there was one thing he would never doubt, it was Alice.

"Maybe I wish that weren't true." He finally said, looking into Alice's deep eyes.

"What do you mean?" she asked quizzically. "Don't you want to be with Bella?"

"Of course I do," he snapped, regarding her with a pretentious gaze. "But things haven't changed. I'm still a vampire. She's still a human. She's better off with Jacob."

Alice didn't know if she agreed, but nodded. "It's Bella's choice, anyway."

"I know."

"Hey," she smiled. "I don't need your ability to know what you're thinking. And you _are_ worth it."

"Come on," he grabbed her stone cold hand. "Let's go to school."

***

The minute Lindsey stepped out of Bella's truck, the entire parking lot turned to stare. It was like Bella's first day of school all over again. The only difference was that this time around the attention was being thwarted to her cousin, who was beaming, gladly welcoming the other student's interest.

Bella grabbed Lindsey by the elbow, hard, and smiled when she heard her complain. She dragged her across the parking lot until she arrived at the Silver Volvo that was parked in its usual spot. Apropos to nothing, Alice jumped out of the car and flew over to hug Lindsey.

"It's so great to meet you, Lindsey!" she gushed, shocking Lindsey with the charming Cullen smile. Lindsey stared at Bella, unsure, and she couldn't help but smile at her reluctance.

"Alice…" Bella warned, laughing lightly. She pulled away with her hands up and gave Lindsey a once over. Her smile became even more brilliant.

"I love your dress!" she complimented and then turned to Bella. "At least someone in the family can dress appropriately. I was starting to think it was a genetic abnormality." Bella rolled her eyes. The first bell rang, so the three departed and headed to class. They parted ways in the middle of the quad, and Bella led Lindsey to her history class in building two.

Everywhere they went, people stared. Mike tried to talk to her several times to no avail. "Don't bother Mike," Bella chided in the middle of history class. "The girl's the devil." That made Mike feel a little better, but he sat quietly in rejection for the rest of the period. As was predicted, Tyler ran over to them when the bell rang, practically drooling all over the desks.

"Bella," he said, keeping his eyes on Lindsey the whole time. "Who's your friend?" Lindsey giggled like a child, making Bella gag.

"This is my cousin, Lindsey," she said apathetically.

"I'm Tyler," he said, holding out his hand. Lindsey took it, smiling flirtatiously.

The rest of the day went pretty much the same way. The boys in each class tried to flirt with her, while Bella sat and rolled her eyes. She always enjoyed the boys' reactions when she told them that Lindsey was only staying for another week, and that this was the only day she was bringing her to school.

After calculus, Bella met Alice outside her classroom like usual. She and Lindsey were fighting about their plans for the evening. Bella refused to go shopping in Seattle like Lindsey wanted. Of course it didn't help any that Alice was more than willing to go along.

"Come _on_, Bella!" she whined. "You haven't gone shopping with me in so long."

"No Alice!" Bella retorted. Lindsey and Alice walked alongside Bella to the cafeteria with their arms across their chests, wearing matching scowls.

The moment the three girls walked into the lunch room, Bella could feel Lindsey stiffen at her side. She looked to her nervously, despite their strong discord, and didn't have to follow Lindsey's line of vision to know what she was staring at.

"Who is _that_?" Lindsey breathed, her eyes widening and a flirty smiling dancing around her lips. As expected, Edward Cullen was sitting in all of his majestic glory, his back stiff with tension as Lindsey's eyes scrutinized him.

Alice rolled her eyes and danced over to sit next to him, whispering happily in his ear.

"That's Edward Cullen," Bella answered. "Alice's brother." It hurt Bella to say it, but that was the best description she could manage.

"He is gorgeous," Lindsey remarked, eagerly drifting over to the table.

"Obviously," Bella said curtly under her breath, walking over to the table as well. Lindsey tried to take the open seat next to Edward, but Bella snuck up from behind her and sat down. She scowled and shuffled to the seat next to Bella.

Edward didn't even look Lindsey's way but leaned in to whisper in Bella's ear. "Alice's brother? Ouch." His voice had a joking edge to it but Bella could also hear the hurt he was trying to disguise.

"Sorry," she managed to mumble, her voice barely audible. She couldn't bring herself to joke along.

Lindsey leaned onto the table, trying to peek around Bella. She tried, unsuccessfully, to get Edward's attention. Bella completely disregarded her cousin, and engaged in a conversation with Edward and Alice instead.

Halfway through lunch, Edward murmured quietly to Bella again. "You know, I'm quite disappointed." Bella turned to look at him, clearly confused. His golden eyes never failed to mesmerize her. "I can read your cousin's mind, but still nothing coming from up here," he lightly tapped Bella's forehead. She smiled in response. "And," Edward continued. "Her blood smells like trash." Bella let out a loud bubbled chuckle, making Edward grin satisfactorily.

Seeing Edward's breathtaking smile, Lindsey turned to Bella with her mouth open. "You _have_ to get me a date with him." Bella scoffed, the blood boiling to her face. Picturing Lindsey and Edward together made her want to vomit. Irrational tears of anger sprang to her eyes.

"No!" Her voice was louder than a whisper but she couldn't control her shaking voice. "He's off limits!"

"What do you mean he's off limits? He has a girlfriend?"

"Yes," Bella said hesitantly.

Lindsey narrowed her eyes, obviously not buying it. "Oh yeah, who?"

"You can't date him!" Bella exploded. Edward gave her a puzzled look, having heard the whole thing. She caught his expression and jumped up to leave. She couldn't take all the faces that were staring at her.

She started to shake as her resolve came crumbling down.

"Bella, where are you going?" Edward asked, his voice soft. He stood from the table and started following her to the door.

"I…I nee…need to go see Jacob," she stuttered, turning to leave. Edward grabbed her arm gently.

"Bella," he murmured at the sudden mention of Jacob's name. "I know exactly what you tried to do." He looked right into her eyes and suddenly flashes of guilt flooded through Bella's head. She loved Jacob. With all her heart. But, a small part of her wondered if she had just used him in an attempt to stop loving Edward. She wondered if Edward could see this too.

He suddenly pulled her out of her thoughts. "Unfortunately, though, your plan went horribly wrong."

She looked up in surprise. "Why is that?"

"Because I'll never stop loving you."

And at that Bella started to cry, long strings of salty tears flowing freely now, traveling down her cheeks and plummeting to the linoleum floor. Everyone turned to stare at her, but she couldn't move her legs. She lifted her hands and fiercely wiped away the drops of moisture there, allowing all the regret and grief she had been fighting down to surface.

Edward stood there awkwardly, not knowing how or if to comfort her. He had never seen Bella in such distress, and for once he felt utterly useless. Like clockwork, Alice flitted through the cafeteria and managed to wrap her arms around Bella and successfully push her out of the public area, toward the hallways. Once they were in the private corridor, under the dim light of the fluorescents, Bella's sobs turned to hiccups. Alice looked back, and had to turn away at the sight left behind; her solemn brother, hundreds of gawking faces, and a faint trail of her best friend's tears leading out the door. Creases of worry aged her perfect face as visions of the future shifted before her eyes.


End file.
